DeMeco Ryans puts Texans LB in a blender for hurting more than just Trevor Lawrence

The Houston Texans defeated the Jacksonville Jaguars, 23-20, on Sunday afternoon, but the game itself was far from the top storyline. Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair stole the limelight from his teammates with what can only be described as a dirty hit on Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence. Both players left the game – Lawrence because he was injured, and Al-Shaair after he was ejected by the officiating crew.

Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans was asked about the play after the game, and how he'll deal with Al-Shaair moving forward. While it should be noted that Ryans did defend Al-Shaair's character, he also wasn't happy with the hit or the subsequent melee.

"it's unfortunate with the hit...you know, it's not what we're coaching," Ryans said. "We want to be smart in everything we do and not hurt the team, get a penalty there. Have to be smarter when the quarterback is going down...we felt his presence not being there. His loss really affected us on the defensive side."

Ryans continued, saying the hit was "not representative of us" and that he would have a talk with Al-Shaair this week in practice.

DeMeco Ryans is right – Texans LB Azeez Al-Shaair hurt more than just Trevor Lawrence

To Ryans' point, Al-Shaair's absence did hurt the Texans. He's considered a veteran leader on their defense, and far too many times this season he's gone out of his way to hurt the team. This includes personal foul penalties and borderline-dirty hits.

And who knows? Following his illegal tackle on Lawrence, Al-Shaair could be fined or even suspended for a game. The Texans are in the midst of a playoff race – they don't need these kinds of distractions from someone who ought to know better.

Al-Shaair is 27 years old, and has been in the NFL for six seasons. He's played on three different teams, including the San Francisco 49ers and New Orleans Saints. The reputation which now follows him does not accurately depict the impact he makes for this young Texans team trying to get over the hump and make a playoff run.