'True leader' Ryans lost for season

HOUSTON - Some injuries hurt more than others.

The loss of DeMeco Ryans for the season will sting for so many reasons, but most of all because of the impact it will have on the Eagles, who rely so much on his guidance.

"He's the true leader," coach Chip Kelly said after the Eagles' 31-21 win over the Texans. "We talk about it all the time. He's Mufasa. He's our guy. When a warrior goes down, you pick up his shield and go play in honor of him, and I think that's what our guys did."

If Ryans is the Lion King's Mufasa, then that must mean Casey Matthews is Simba. Eagles defensive coordinator Bill Davis said that either Matthews or Emmanuel Acho - or a combination of the two - will take Ryans' place at inside linebacker, but several players said they expected Matthews to get the first crack.

Either way, no one was trying to fool anyone into believing that Ryans would or could be replaced.

"This is going to be a tough one," Davis said.

Even though the Eagles initially described it as an ankle injury, Ryans ruptured his right Achilles tendon, according to an NFL source. He'll be placed on season-ending injured reserve, and the Eagles will have a roster spot to fill.

A little more than four years ago, Ryans ruptured his left Achilles while playing for the Texans. The injury he suffered Sunday happened in the same way (noncontact) and at the same spot (near the 10-yard line in the north end) at NRG Stadium, according to Eagles linebacker Connor Barwin.

"Same spot," said Barwin, who was also Ryans' teammate for three seasons with the Texans. "Everything. It's really weird."

Ryans had just intercepted Ryan Fitzpatrick. The Texans quarterback attempted a pass to receiver DeAndre Hopkins, but defensive end Fletcher Cox tipped the ball at the line, and Ryans picked it out of the air. He took a step, and then another, and then crumbled to the ground and fumbled.

The grass field at indoor NRG Stadium is made up of panels, and you could see the creases in many areas. There was speculation that Ryans got his foot caught in one, but Barwin said: "DeMeco told me his [injury] didn't have to do with the crease."

Ryans attempted to get up off the ground but couldn't, and then players from both teams began signaling for Eagles trainers. After linebacker Mychal Kendricks realized the severity, he walked over to Matthews, stuck his face mask to his teammate's, and said something.

The message was clear.

"They're not rusty, they're ready," Kendricks said of Matthews and Acho, "and that's why those guys stay ready, and they prepare during the week just as well as anyone else who is playing during the game. We are very confident in the guys that we have on this team."

Matthews and Acho received significant playing time when Kendricks missed four games with a calf injury. There were initial struggles, but both became increasingly reliable. Davis said that Ryans' replacement would make the defensive play calls in the Eagles' base and nickel packages.

Kendricks, though, said that he was ready to assume the role of leader, a role that Ryans had been grooming him for the last three seasons.

"He has taught me how to be a leader," Kendricks said. "He has played this game a lot longer than me, and I have been picking his brain ever since I have gotten here and will continue to do so. That whole thing doesn't stop with him being a leader - that's on and off the field."

Davis was asked whether his defense would miss Ryans more as a player or because of his presence.

"I think his presence," Davis said. "He's a great player, but I would have to say the character, the intangible, the culture part of DeMeco - I don't think you can replace it. He's that special."

Safety Malcolm Jenkins, defensive end Cedric Thornton, Barwin, and Kendricks will shoulder the leadership load on defense, but players on offense, such as receiver Jeremy Maclin, said Ryans held sway over the entire team.

The Eagles have been snakebit by injuries this season, and yet they're 6-2 at the halfway point. They've lost two starting offensive linemen for various stretches and are likely to lose another. Their starting quarterback is expected to be out for an extended period.

But the Ryans injury will have aftershocks.

"You're talking about someone that does not change the way he acts - ever," Barwin said. "He's the same, exact person every single day. Guys have respect for that. That's what you need out of a leader.

"He knows the defense like the back of his hand. He gets us in the right calls. He owns everything he does. He never loses it. He never breaks down. If he misses a play, he lets it go. If somebody else misses a play, he helps him move forward."

As the cart came to wheel Ryans to the locker room, almost every Eagles player walked over to wish him well. Some of his former teammates with the Texans came over to honor the man they used to call "Captain."

"It just shows how much respect everybody that plays with him has for him," Barwin said. "He's just a . . . great guy."

@Jeff_McLane