Why these next steps are critical for Texans, Ryans in wake of Al-Shaair suspension

Sometimes, a bad PR situation gets worse based on choices the organization makes. In the case of the Texans, the hit Azeez Al-Shaair made on Trevor Lawrence Sunday could’ve been mitigated had the team more carefully chosen its ensuing words and actions. But now that the league has suspended him, the Texans can still rectify their spiraling circumstances by taking a few important steps in the next 24 hours. First, a timeline of events:

• Sunday: Al-Shaair delivers a brutal hit on a sliding Lawrence, causing immediate retaliation and a significant altercation on the sideline. Lawrence leaves the game on a cart with a concussion.
• Monday morning: The linebacker issues an apology on social media, telling Lawrence he never wanted to hurt him and validating the Jaguars defending their quarterback. Al-Shaair also says the hit has triggered racist and Islamophobic responses, and blames the media for fueling the situation.
• Monday morning: ESPN analyst Rex Ryan shares an opinion with which few would agree. Ryan, a former head coach and defensive coordinator, says quarterbacks shouldn’t slide and blames offensive coaches for failing to better protect them. Ryan says, instead, quarterbacks should dive at the ankles of defenders.
• Monday afternoon: At his normal day-after-game press conference, Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans in a tone-deaf response blames Lawrence and uses the word “but” to completely invalidate his get-well wishes toward the quarterback: “We stand behind Azeez and everything that came from that,” Ryans said. “Of course, the unfortunate hit on a quarterback. But it’s two-fold. A lot of the quarterbacks in this day and age, they try to take advantage of the rule where they slide late and they try to get an extra yard. Now, you’re a defender, and a lot of onus is on the defender. Whether it’s on the sideline or it’s on the quarterback, you don’t know what a guy is thinking. You don’t know if a guy’s staying up and he’s continuing to run. You don’t know. And you get a late slide and you hit the guy. Unfortunate that Trevor got hurt. We hope Trevor’s OK. But also, if we’re sliding, you have to get down.”
• Tuesday morning: NFL vice president of football operations Jon Runyan leaves no doubt as to where the league stands on the issue, using unique language to inform Al-Shaair that he’s been suspended for three games.

The situation is really bad for the Texans and they may not realize it. Not only have they committed major PR mistakes in their initial responses, they’ve also allowed a team distraction to escalate unnecessarily and taken focus away from winning games. But Ryans can reverse it by taking a few thoughtful steps.

1. Understand the difference between defending his player in public vs. defending his player in private. Behind closed doors, without any recording devices, Ryans should have told his team on Monday that he had Al-Shaair’s back and, as a former defensive player, he understood the difficulty in avoiding contact on a sliding quarterback. Full stop. That’s all he should’ve said, because one of the players in that team meeting was C.J. Stroud, and Ryans certainly wouldn’t want a Jaguars defender delivering that blow to the Texans’ quarterback.
2. On Tuesday, or as soon as he realizes his mistake, strategically set up an interview, perhaps with the team’s flagship radio station. In that interview, Ryans should explain that he erred with his public comments and apologize. He can defend Al-Shaair’s passion and energy without blaming the victim, in this case a concussed quarterback. Ryans can also take the opportunity to call out the disturbing revelation that Al-Shaair is receiving racist and Islamophobic threats, and there’s no place in society for that. Public sentiment will support Ryans with those comments.
3. Ryans can provide important counsel to Al-Shaair, who reportedly will now appeal the suspension. Al-Shaair has to make another statement as soon as possible. He should continue to show genuine remorse for Lawrence but not blame anyone else, taking full accountability for his actions. And unlike his first statement, he should avoid excuses and explanations. He’s more likely to have his suspension reduced to two games if he says the right things, admitting he was wrong, vowing to do better in the future and telling the world he’s reached out to Lawrence to apologize personally. Again, no excuses or explanations.
4. Finally, with Ryans leading by example, Texans players and coaches should prepare for their next media availability armed with unified messaging, with respect to questions on Al-Shaair’s suspension. Every answer should include, in their own words, “I respect your question. DeMeco already addressed the situation privately to us as a team. He also addressed it in his Tuesday interview. We’re moving forward and focused on self-scouting during the bye and preparing for the Dolphins.”

Most critical for Ryans and the Texans to understand is that their goal is to win a Super Bowl, not to weigh in on public discourse whether the hit was dirty or avoidable. That’s a losing battle. Perspective is paramount right now and Ryans can lead the way.

For more information on the Texans, visit the Houston team page at ProFootballPost.com.