AFC Notes: Walker Little, DeMeco Ryans, Colts, Jaguars, Texans

Colts

• Stephen Holder, citing a team source, reports the Colts are “optimistic” about Anthony Richardson (foot) playing in Week 17 and he’s made consistent progress this week.
• According to Holder, Friday’s practice will be “critical” toward Richardson’s availability.

Jaguars

Jacksonville may have lost their LT Walker Little for the rest of their season, but they were able to lock him up for the foreseeable future.

“Yeah, I guess I was more surprised just like what you said, just getting done during the season. I was anticipating if I was going to get an extension done, it would probably after the season,” Little said, via Sports Illustrated. “So when they reached out in the Bye week, I definitely wasn’t expecting, but it was a nice surprise. Then yeah, we were able to kind of start working on working on it and we’re able to get it done before the Texans game.”

Texans

The Texans suffered a disappointing 31-2 loss to the Ravens on Christmas Day. Houston HC DeMeco Ryans reflected on the one-sided defeat, saying he will look at “everything” internally. 

“We’ll take the next couple of days here to look at everything, starting with myself,” Ryans said, via Drew Dougherty of the team’s site. “Everything starts with me. But as a team, we just stay together, figure out a way to come out playing better football.”

Texans WR John Metchie thinks the entire team needs to work harder to ensure they end the season on a stronger note. 

“We should all be working,” Metchie said. “It’s not like it’s time to chill. It’s not like the season’s over. It’s not time for a bye week. I think we should all be working: whether it’s working on getting healthy or working on how to get better.”

Ryan’s message to the team and coaching staff is to “check themselves” to see if they are doing enough. 

“I told all our guys just check themselves, right,” Ryans said. “Starting with coaches and players, you got to check yourself. And are you getting it done or not? You come back fired up and you come back showing that’s not who we are. Because at the end of the day, that’s not who we are. That’s not what we represent, what we put out there and on the field today.”