Tag: Texans defensive line

Texans DE Will Anderson finds shared values with Klutch Athletics by New Balance

Houston Texans rookie defensive end Will Anderson is teaming up with Klutch Athletics and New Balance as he forges his way into the NFL.

Will Anderson has never been afraid to be different.

Whether that was bucking recent trends and playing in Alabama’s bowl game or starting his NFL career by sacking a former MVP, Anderson’s football story thus far is one of forging his own path. Since he was selected third overall in the 2023 NFL draft, that’s tangible meant helping rookie coach DeMeco Ryans and fellow top-3 pick C.J. Stroud turn around the culture of the Houston Texans.

Now, Anderson has decided what part of his path will look like off the football field. He announced his partnership with Klutch Athletics by New Balance. He’s the second American Football ambassador for the brand, joining 2020 first round defensive end Chase Young to represent the brand within the NFL.

The Texans Wire had the opportunity to speak with Anderson last week and discuss his excitement around the new partnership and what led him to choosing New Balance.

“For me, it was just different. You know what I’m saying? Most guys they’d probably go with another brand but for me I’m all about being different. I felt like this opportunity was something that I could reach out and do something that most people wouldn’t do. You know, it’s working out really well.” Anderson continued about his choice that, “The values that we share, the beliefs that we share, the family values, everything like that is similar. Just to be a part of history and be innovative and keep creating new things is what I’m all about and what New Balance is all about. Just to have the same mindset as someone that you plan to work with is very special.”

The Houston Texans and Coach Ryans haven’t been shy to admit that Anderson has not only lived up to their expectations as a player but as a person in how he interacts with others. Klutch Athletics by New Balance and CEO Rich Paul was similarly complimentary of Anderson in this way.

“Will’s values, his performance off-and-on the field, and his style perfectly align with the brand. Like Chase Young, I see Will as an embodiment of what it means to be Klutch and he will put a great emphasis on uplifting and empowering all athletes, no matter their background.”

For Anderson himself, he believes the partnership is a natural pairing that goes beyond simple athletic wear. When asked to follow up on the specific values that were shared by himself and Klutch Athletics by New Balance, he pointed to their involvement with the community as a tangible example.

“Yeah, so like for instance, Tuesday I’ll be having a showing at Dick’s Sporting Goods, a meet and great with the community.” Anderson said about New Balance’s values. “I’m all about giving back to the community and for Klutch Athletics by New Balance to do something like that, it just shows me what their beliefs and their values are and how they align with mine.”

That event will be held tomorrow, September 19th, from 6:00pm to 7:30pm at Dick’s Sporting Goods at their Katy location. The announcement continues what has been a great fall to kick off Anderson’s rookie campaign as he has 9 total tackles, 3 quarterback hits, and a sack through his first two career games. Fans can watch Anderson next Sunday as Houston travels to Florida to take on the division rival Jacksonville Jaguars.

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ESPN stat shows Texans DE Will Anderson dominated against the Ravens

Houston Texans defensive end Will Anderson made himself known as a pass rusher against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 1.

Will Anderson demonstrated in Week 1 why the Houston Texans had to make a deal with the Arizona Cardinals to draft the defensive end No. 3 overall.

According to statistics posted by ESPN’s Seth Walder, Anderson tied with Seattle Seahawks linebacker Darrell Taylor for the fourth-highest pass rush win rate off the edge with a game to go in Week 1.

The former Alabama product generated six combined tackles, 1.0 sack, a tackle for loss, and two quarterback hits in the Texans’ 25-9 loss to the Baltimore Ravens Sunday at M&T Bank Stadium.

Despite the loss, Anderson admitted after the game he relished getting a chance to begin his NFL career.

“Yeah, it was fun,” said Anderson. “You know, I took in every moment, and I think the team did a really good job. Of course, we made some mistakes, but we just have to keep learning and getting better.”

Anderson was also influential in Lamar Jackson’s interception early in second quarter.

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WATCH: Texans DE Jonathan Greenard sacks Ravens QB Lamar Jackson

Houston Texans defensive end Jonathan Greenard got the first sack of 2023 by dropping Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson.

The key for the Houston Texans’ defensive line in 2023 is they were going to be attacking.

Houston showcased some of their attack profile on third-and-2 with 13:45 to go in the first quarter Sunday afternoon against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium. Defensive end Jonathan Greenard came off the edge and took down Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson for a key sack to force Baltimore into a three-and-out.

Greenard had a disappointing 2022 as he played in eight games with four starts, generating just 1.5 sacks. With the former 2020 third-rounder taking down Jackson on Opening Day, it gives Greenard a fast start towards matching his career high of 8.0 from 2021.

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Texans DC Matt Burke says J.J. Watt ‘is a great football mind’

Houston Texans defensive coordinator Matt Burke says former defensive end J.J. Watt “is a great football mind” and will do well for the NFL on CBS.

Matt Burke knows a little bit about J.J. Watt, and isn’t just because the Houston Texans defensive coordinator sees his pictures all around NRG Stadium.

Burke’s last job was Arizona Cardinals defensive line coach, and Watt was one of his players. The 47-year-old spent just one season with the three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year, but it was enough to know what Watt brought to the game.

The NFL on CBS is curious what Watt can provide as a studio analyst, which is why they inked a multiyear deal with the Texans legend.

“I think he will be great,” Burke told reporters Sept. 7. “I mean, ‘J’ is a great football mind. He cares about the game, he’s passionate about the game and the sport and the league. He’s honestly been successful at everything he’s done in his life. I don’t see that changing.”

Burke admitted that he was not aware of Watt’s specific role, but he expects his collection of experiences and understanding of the game to help him transition from three-point stance to TV studio.

“I think he’s going to be a guy that offers a lot of great insight, and he had a very intellectual approach to his game and how he prepared and how he played, and I think that’s going to serve him well in his next life here,” said Burke.

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Texans DE Will Anderson stock soars following Dolphins game

Houston Texans defensive end Will Anderson has seen his stock rise following his performance in the 28-3 loss to the Miami Dolphins.

The Houston Texans may have taken a beating collectively in their 28-3 loss to the Miami Dolphins in the second week of preseason, but Will Anderson stood out.

According to Brad Spielberger from Pro Football Focus, the Texans’ rookie defensive end was one of their rookies who stood out after the second week of preseason.

Anderson flashed the brute force that made him the No. 3 overall pick in this year’s draft when he just bowled over Miami Dolphins running back Salvon Ahmed and forced quarterback Skylar Thompson to cough up the football. Anderson tacked on two defensive stops despite logging just 12 total snaps.

The Texans saw enough from Anderson after a disruptive, athletic display. Along with a special teams snap, Anderson’s afternoon was finished early inside NRG Stadium.

After joint practices with the Dolphins prior to the exhibition contest, the former Alabama product noticed that opponents were underestimating his power. More plays such as these, even in the context of preseason, may have offensive coordinators thinking otherwise when prepping for the Texans.

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DE Jacob Martin models consistency for Texans defensive line

Houston Texans defensive end DeMeco Ryans has shown he can be a model of consistency for the new look defensive line.

No matter the scheme, Jacob Martin will find a way.

The 27-year-old is on his second tour of duty with the Houston Texans. After spending 2019-21 as an outside linebacker the first two years and then a defensive end for the final season, Martin left Houston in 2022 for the New York Jets and Denver Broncos.

With Denver revamping its coaching staff following the signing of Sean Payton, the former Seattle Seahawks 2018 sixth-round pick was out of a job for a couple of weeks in May until the Texans re-signed Martin.

Call it familiarity with the player or the player’s familiarity with DeMeco Ryans’ system via the Jets and Robert Saleh, but Houston believed they had a capable veteran in Martin.

Through two preseason games, the sixth-year pro has tallied 29 defensive snaps and four special teams reps, and is catching Ryans’ eye as a model of consistency.

“Jacob has done a good job in practice,” Ryans told reporters Monday. “He’s been consistent in practice, and he’s shown that ability to set the edge, to rush the passers, so I’m encouraged with some of the things that Jacob has done in practice and he went out there first in the game.”

While Martin was among the first 11 on the field for the Texans in their 28-3 loss to the Miami Dolphins Aug. 19, Ryans still clings to the notion “there are no starters” in preseason.

“It’s about us seeing what our team can actually look like, in giving guys multiple looks, multiple opportunities,” said Ryans.

What Martin has shown thus far is dependability, which is what the staff needs as they work to complete the rebuild.

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Texans DE Will Anderson says ‘They sleep on my power’

Houston Texans rookie defensive end Will Anderson has noticed offensive linemen presume he is strictly an edge rusher with speed.

The Houston Texans’ joint training camp practices with the Miami Dolphins were beneficial as it gave both rosters a chance to work against guys who don’t have familiarity, which is closer to what an NFL season is truly like.

What Texans rookie defensive end Will Anderson picked up on during the two days of joint sessions with Miami was how the offensive linemen treated him as mostly a speedy edge rusher.

Anderson shared with reporters Aug. 16 how he used other traits to counter his speed.

“Oh, yeah, really because they sleep on my power,” Anderson said. “So, they see me and my front and they’re like, ‘Oh, he’s probably just a speed guy,’ and then boom — I hit them with power as a counter, anything like that. So, it’s just good having that speed to power — a lot of people wouldn’t think that my body type would have that.”

The two-time Southeastern Conference Defensive Player of the Year generated 34.5 sacks over three seasons at Alabama. Most of the sacks were due to the 6-4, 243-pounder’s agility and quickness, although another element remained.

Whether using speed or brawn, Anderson is well aware that hand placement is crucial to setting up his first move, a tenet of coach DeMeco Ryans’ new system.

Said Anderson: “The first step is the most important step — getting off the ball. And your hand placement, Coach [Ryans] always harps on that, having great hands, having great feet. Those two things tie together really well. So, just making sure that your hands are right on the breastplate of the tackle, not getting up too high so that he can get underneath you. Those are things that you watch on film and come back and get better at.”

Anderson will have another opportunity to demonstrate his speed and power as the Texans host the Dolphins for their second preseason game Aug. 19 at NRG Stadium.

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4 takeaways from the Houston Texans’ depth chart release

Here are four takeaways from @therealmarklane as the Houston Texans release their first depth chart of the preseason.

The Houston Texans released their first depth chart of the preseason Aug. 7 ahead of their Aug. 10 preseason opener with the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium.

There were some aspects of the depth chart that weren’t a surprise — Dameon Pierce is the starting running back, Jimmie Ward and Jalen Pitre are a tandem at safety.

However, there were some decisions the coaches made that were fascinating, much beyond starting C.J. Stroud over Davis Mills.

Here is a look at some interesting items on the Texans’ depth chart.

DE Jacob Martin ‘super excited’ to be back with the Texans

DE Jacob Martin spent 2022 with the Denver Broncos and New York Jets. However, the sixth-year pro is glad to be back with the Houston Texans.

HOUSTON — Any person who lives or has visited Houston, Texas, within the last three months knows it is hot.

Very hot. Some would describe it as scorching.

The news stations around the city have repeatedly warned about doing any physical activities outside if you can help it, and if you do, please proceed with caution to not over-exert yourself and have a heat stroke.

Houston Texans defensive end Jacob Martin must not watch the news, as he has constantly pushed himself to the brink of exhaustion in this Texas heat at training camp to prove to head coach DeMeco Ryans and defensive coordinator Matt Burke that general manager Nick Caserio made the right decision by bringing him back to the team for a second run.

During the offseason, Martin signed a one-year deal with the team after he became a free agent when the Denver Broncos released him in May. His first stint with the Texans came in 2019 when he was part of a trade package between Houston and Seattle Seahawks for former edge-rusher Jadeveon Clowney.

In Martin’s 45 games (15 starts) played with the Texans, he recorded 10.5 sacks. He became an unrestricted free agent after the 2021 season and signed a three-year deal with the New York Jets that lasted less than four months before he was traded to the Denver Broncos.

The atmosphere was very opaque around NRG Stadium back in 2020, with fan favorite and All-Pro wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins being traded to the Arizona Cardinals by former head coach and general manager Bill O’Brien. It didn’t get any better heading into the next season, with all of the attention in camp and throughout the season revolving around a once-franchise player with an off-field scandal.

“It has truly been an amazing experience to be back,” said Martin after practice. “To see that the culture has grown since I was here previously. They are bringing good people on. Just in the building, with great energy there is a huge change of energy in the building. I am super excited and truly appreciative of the opportunity to be brought back.”

With rookie edge rusher Will Anderson, whom the Texans traded up to get with the third overall pick in this year’s draft, being added to a competitive defensive end group that consists of Jerry Hughes and Jonathan Greenard, Martin knows that every rep he receives will be valuable.

“We are out here competing every day,” Martin said about his position group. “The goal is not to have any drop-off, no matter what group is in there.”

The six-year veteran has shown over the years a skill set that has impressed coaches, including Ryans and Burke, during training camp, which is his uncanny ability to get off the line of scrimmage quickly as soon as the ball is snapped and cause havoc for the offensive lineman.

Rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud is one who has noticed every time Martin is on the opposite side of the ball. His constant ability to pressure the pocket with his speed rush makes Stroud account for him coming off the edge. On consecutive plays during one team drill Stroud had to maneuver to avoid being sacked by Martin.

“I have played a lot of football over the years,” said Martin about his approach. “I guess I just have a feeling; I feel when the ball is going to be snapped. It is almost like a tension in the air, and I have gotten pretty good at predicting that.”

Martin will have a chance during the preseason to show that he deserves to be a part of the defensive rotation when the regular season starts. That journey begins Thursday when the Texans play the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium.

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Texans DE Jonathan Greenard has confidence in new defensive line

Houston Texans defensive end Jonathan Greenard says he likes the way the defensive line is coming together.

Jonathan Greenard has seen the Houston Texans defensive line in many of its forms over the past four seasons, but the 2023 version could be special.

The Texans took Greenard in Round 3 of the 2020 NFL draft. Although an outside linebacker in the final year of Bill O’Brien’s regime, which used a 3-4 front, the former Florida product transitioned to playing as a down lineman in Lovie Smith’s deployment of the Tampa 2 with a 4-3 front.

Houston is sticking with the 4-3 as new coach DeMeco Ryans implements more of an attacking front rather than the read-and-react schemes of the past two seasons. The Texans are melding some of the personnel from the past two seasons with new pieces.

According to Greenard, the Texans’ defensive line may play above expectations.

“I mean, it could be a really really talented, productive group,” Greenard told reporters Aug. 3 after training camp. “I think we’ve got all aspects of rushers, all aspects of players in general.”

The Texans had some pieces on their line, but they bolstered them in free agency. Where the club had a talented three-technique defensive tackle in Maliek Collins, they signed Sheldon Rankins.

Houston wasn’t afraid to use the draft to shore up their defensive line. With Jerry Hughes, who led the Texans with 9.0 sacks last season, and Greenard still under contract, Houston traded up to take defensive end Will Anderson No. 3 overall.

Said Greenard: “I mean, we’ve got a combo. And I think, just overall, with this attacking front, and how DeMeco wants us, how [defensive coordinator] (Matt) Burke wants us, I think we can do a lot of things. Sky’s the limit, for sure.”

The Texans gave up the most rushing yards per game last year at 170.2. Houston also gave up the fourth-most yards per carry at 5.1.

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