DeMeco Ryan blaming Trevor Lawrence for the hit is a dirty move

Really, DeMeco Ryans?

Of all the reactions, emotions and analysis that resulted from Azeez Al-Shair’s dirty hit that sidelined Trevor Lawrence with a concussion in Jacksonville on Sunday – prompting the NFL on Tuesday to designate the Houston Texans linebacker for suspension for three games – the worst came from Ryans.

The Texans coach blamed the victim.

“It’s two-fold, right?” Ryans claimed on Monday that he had had plenty of time to watch the video and collect his thoughts.

“A lot of quarterbacks these days try to take advantage of the rule by slipping late and trying to get an extra yard. You’re a defender, a lot of the responsibility falls on the defender, whether it’s on the sideline or the quarterback, you don’t know what a man is thinking. You don’t know if a guy stays up and keeps running, you don’t know, and then you get a late slip and hit the guy.”

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No, it wasn’t that coincidental. Ryans, a former Pro Bowl linebacker, should know better.

Sure, we’ve heard defensive players moan about safety rules for years. And we’ve seen quarterbacks juke, stutter and hesitate for the extra yard. Patrick Mahomes, the game’s best quarterback, is a master of his craft. He repeatedly caused defenders to freeze because of his pump fake as he ran to the sideline.

But this case with Lawrence wasn’t that. As he climbed across the open field, there was no pump-fake or dead-leg hesitation. With a feet-first slide, he clearly gave himself up.

And Al-Shair beat him up anyway – first with a forearm that hit Lawrence in the head and neck area. Whether intentional or not, it reflected malice, intimidation and, well, a clear violation of the NFL’s rule of protecting defenseless players.

But Ryans ignored these details.

“It’s unfortunate that Trevor was injured,” said the coach. “I hope Trevor is okay, but if we slip we’ll have to go down. If we go out of bounds, you go out of bounds, and this rule is designed to protect the quarterbacks. We want our quarterbacks to be safe in the league, so if we slip up we just have to be on the safe side and make sure we keep our heads down.”

This nonsense from Ryans is astounding, and not just because it’s coming from one of the rising stars of NFL coaching. I get it – to a certain extent. Ryans wanted to defend one of his players, a team captain who also happened to have crossed the finish line in the past. But Ryans undermined his own credibility in the process.

Instead of making a statement in the name of safety, Ryans, intentionally or unintentionally, ridiculed the NFL’s efforts to protect defenseless players.

And that doesn’t just come from the Texans coach. Houston general manager Nick Caserio was cautious on Tuesday, criticizing the NFL for an apparent lack of consistency in issuing discipline.

“One of the biggest issues that we kind of take exception to as a team, organizationally, is the picture that was painted by Azeez,” Caserio said Tuesday during a news conference in Houston. “Honestly, I would say it’s unfair.”

To date, Al-Shair has never been excluded from a game or suspended by the league, Caserio said. He mentioned that Detroit Lions safety Brian Branch was ejected from a game in Green Bay in early November and played in Houston the following week. The GM pointed out that Los Angeles Chargers safety Derwin James was suspended for one game – not three – for a hit in Pittsburgh in September and was charged with repeat violations. Caserio also pointed to Buffalo Bills safety Kareem Jackson, who was suspended twice last season as a member of the Denver Broncos after being ejected from the game multiple times.

“In this situation,” Caserio said, “frankly, there is no consistency at all with the level of discipline that has been handed down.”

Caserio also used profanity when presenting his defense in the Al-Shair case, which is under appeal. It’s an attack on the character of a linebacker who, by the way, as the GM noted, attended a United Way event on Tuesday. This is excessive discipline.

It’s a serious whine from a blatant blow to the head.

It’s also fair to wonder whether the Texans would be so forgiving if an opposing defender took out their star quarterback CJ Stroud with the kind of vicious hit that knocked Lawrence to the ground. Fortunately, Lawrence appears to be well on his way to recovery, judging by what the quarterback shared on social media after returning home.

Al-Shaair also took to social media and apologized to Lawrence while expressing his remorse. It’s also notable that while Ryans blamed the Jaguars for the brawl that broke out as Lawrence lay on the turf at EverBank Field — “overreacting,” as the coach called it — Al-Shaair offered a different perspective.

“To the rest of his teammates: I can definitely understand that you have his back and defend him in such a situation,” Al-Shair wrote on X.

In the NFL’s letter of explanation to Al-Shair, Jon Runyan, the league’s top law enforcement official, noted that the situation escalated when the linebacker “dragged an opponent to the ground by his face mask.” Runyan also pointed out that after the ejection from the game was announced, Al-Shair removed his helmet, sparking another confrontation as he left the field.

Emotions were clearly overheated. And we all know why. The dangerous hit against Lawrence sparked a reaction from the Jaguars players. But Ryans blamed the Jaguars for that too.

“The whole thing is that Azeez hits the guy, but his sideline overreacts and a scuffle breaks out,” Ryans said. “It wasn’t our guys. Your team overreacted, pushed our man and dragged him to the sideline. So this is inappropriate on this site. We also have to get better on the sidelines, for both teams.”

Perhaps the ban, which if it stands will keep Al-Shair sidelined until week 18, will provide substance for a teachable moment. As Runyan noted, this isn’t the first time the linebacker has been involved in questionable actions that put safety at risk. In Week 2, Al-Shair’s hit on Chicago Bears rookie quarterback Caleb Williams – late and unnecessary, the league determined – resulted in a $11,817 fine, coupled with a hit he took after the game Running back Roschon Johnson threw.

On the other hand, perhaps the teachable moment can only be achieved by admitting what is clearly shown on the video evidence. And this lesson doesn’t just apply to the player who caused the hit.

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DeMeco Ryan blaming Trevor Lawrence for the hit is a dirty move

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