Texans' Joe Mixon gets revenge on Rex Ryan for 'Bye week' diss

[JohnS]

Texans' Joe Mixon gets revenge on Rex Ryan for 'Bye week' diss

Joe Mixon had some choice words for Rex Ryan.

By Dakota Zientek - Jan 12, 2025

Before their 32-12 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers to kick off Wild Card Weekend, Joe Mixon and the Houston Texans had extra motivation heading into Saturday. Once playoff seeding was set, ESPN's Rex Ryan gave his opinion on the Chargers-Texans matchup, noting it would be an easy win for Jim Harbaugh and Justin Herbert, per social media user “sidelinesarah” on X.

“Yeah, I mean, I never realized the Chargers got a bye, that they qualified for a bye, but they did because they're playing Houston,” Ryan said, suppressing a laugh. “This team right here is No. 1 in the National Football League in scoring defense. And by the way, Quentin Johnston, he actually can catch the ball. He had 13 catches. Remember this? The kid that couldn't catch a cold. All of a sudden, now he's catching the ball. They're moving it, they can pound you with the run game. They also realized they have a Hall of Fame quarterback.”

 

Now, while Herbert didn't have a Hall of Fame performance against the Texans in the Wild Card round, Mixon and the Texans had Ryan's comments fresh in their minds following the victory, per Ari Meirov on X.

“Rex Ryan said the Chargers have a ‘bye week' facing the Texans,” Meirov wrote. “Joe Mixon is celebrating that now.”

Following their dominant playoff victory, the Texans' running back joined some of his teammates to celebrate the win with their congratulatory cigars. While smoking cigars, Mixon and the Texans sent a message to Rex Ryan after his comments.

“We smokin' on that Rex Ryan bye-week pack,” Mixon said, lighting his cigar after the Texans' Wild Card victory. “C'mon, Rex. C'mon, man. H-Town, we lit tonight. Turn us up, man.”

 

Now, as the Texans await their next playoff opponent, they can look back on a successful beginning to Wild Card Weekend while they smoke on the “Rex Ryan pack”.

Source: https://clutchpoints.com/texans-news-joe-mixon-revenge-rex-ryan-bye-week-diss

[Cigar Surgeon]

Odd because my analysis going into the game was that the Chargers offense had not been clicking for a while and Houston was feasting on defense. 

Going Houston was the most clear pick for the weekend for me. 

[JohnS]

Rex Ryan's reply to this was mix of clever and funny!

Rex Ryan boasts he can ‘still motivate a team’ after Texans star Joe Mixon’s ‘bye week’ clap-back

Story by Ryan Dunleavy

Rex Ryan put a cigar in his mouth when he should’ve been eating crow.

The ESPN analyst and could-be second-term Jets head coach apparently lit a fire under the Texans by saying last week that the Chargers had a “bye week” by facing the Texans in the AFC wild-card round.

Final score: Texans 32, Chargers 12.

Texans running back Joe Mixon celebrates the team’s NFL playoff win over the Chargers on Jan. 11, 2025. Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

The Texans taunted Ryan while smoking cigars in their locker room — as seen in social media videos — which gave Ryan a chance to have the last word Sunday during ESPN’s “NFL Countdown.”

“I can still motivate a team with the best of them, and things like that,” Ryan quipped, picking up his own cigar. “My goodness. Who had a worse day: Me or Justin Herbert? It’s probably right there.”

Herbert threw four interceptions, including a pick-six, for the Chargers.

“You’ve got to tip your hat to them,” Ryan said of the Texans. “Because that team played their absolute asses off. Look, if you guys were going to play like that, I would’ve taken you to win the Super Bowl. I’m seeing, going into it, [Texans] are 1-5 against playoff teams and all that. Sorry, Houston.”

It was cigar-toting running back Joe Mixon who delivered the punchline against Ryan.

“Smokin’ on that Rex Ryan bye-week pack,” Mixon said in a video.

Joe Mixon taunts Rex Ryan while smoking a cigar on Jan. 11, 2025. Instagram/Joe Mixon

Rex Ryan puts an unlit cigar in his mouth during ESPN’s “NFL Countdown” on Jan. 12, 2025. ESPN

The AFC South champion and fourth-seeded Texans either will visit the top-seeded Chiefs or third-seeded Ravens in next week’s Divisional playoffs. The opponent will be determined by Sunday’s Broncos-Bills winner.

Ryan’s apology didn’t last long.

“I’m not picking you next week, either,” Ryan declared. “Or maybe I will.”

The Jets are not scheduled to face the Texans until 2027, so it could be a while before Ryan has to face the music even if he is hired as the Jets head coach.

He interviewed for the job last week and one top candidate is off the board as Mike Vrabel landed with the Patriots — and quickly was trash-talked by Ryan.

Source: https://nypost.com/2025/01/12/sports/rex-ryan-responds-after-texans-star-joe-mixons-bye-week-clap-back/