Tag: Will Anderson

Texans DE Will Anderson Jr. nominated for Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award

Houston Texans defensive end Will Anderson Jr. continues to rack up accolades in 2024.

Will Anderson Jr. continues to rack up the accolades for Houston Texans in a breakout second season at NRG Stadium.

Anderson was nominated as Texans’ representative for the 2024 Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award on Friday.

The nominees for all 32 teams were announced earlier this week by the NFL:

The award represents “an NFL player who best demonstrates the qualities of on-field sportsmanship, including fair play, respect for the game and opponents, and integrity in competition,” according to the league’s website.

The award will be ” determined by a vote of current NFL players,” and the winner will “receive a $25,000 donation from the NFL Foundation to a charity of his choice.”

Anderson remains one of the league’s top pass rushers as his second season comes to a close. While sharing the spotlight with four-time Pro Bowl defensive end Danielle Hunter, the former No. 3 overall pick ranks in the top 10 among all defenders in sacks (9.5), tackles for loss (12.5) and QB hits (31).

The winner is announced during the end of season “NFL Honors” Award show before the Super Bowl.

The Texans travel to EverBank Stadium to take on the Jacksonville Jaguars this Sunday at noon CT.

Texans-Cowboys inactives: Who’s in, who’s out for Week 11

Here’s who’s out for the Houston Texans against the Dallas Cowboys on ‘Monday Night Football.’

For the most part, the Houston Texans know who won’t be suiting up at AT&T Stadium on Monday night.

Defensive end Will Anderson Jr. (ankle), defensive tackle Foley Fatukasi (foot) and cornerback Kamari Lassiter (concussion) all were listed as inactive for another primetime against the Dallas Cowboys. Rookie offensive tackle Blake Fisher (concussion) was ruled out before the team left for Arlington on Sunday afternoon.

Cornerback Jeff Okudah was listed as questionable after being limited all week in practice but his status wasn’t really in serious doubt. He’s officially active, along with defensive tackle Mario Edwards Jr. and will back up Ka’Dar Hollman in Houston’s secondary.

The Texans should have Lassiter back next week after he was cleared to practice on Sunday. Houston has been precautious all season with players in concussion protocol.

On the opposing side, wideout CeeDee Lamb, who was listed as questionable for the week, will suit up for ‘Monday Night Football.’ In 2022 when Houston visited Arlington,the All-Pro target caught five balls for 33 yards.

Here’s the full inactive list for both the Texans and Cowboys. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:15 p.m.

Houston Texans (6-4)

Dallas Cowboys (3-7)

Texans vs. Cowboys injury report: Latest updates, news for Thursday

Several Texans players were not at practice on Thursday afternoon in preparation for Week 11’s showdown against the Dallas Cowboys on Monday

The Houston Texans have an extra day to prepare for their matchup against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium.

That means an extra day to get players healthy enough for action.

Receiver Nico Collins and defensive lineman Mario Edwards Jr. practiced in pads for the first time in nearly a month after being added back to the active roster. Collins, who led the NFL in receiving yards with 567 during the first five games, missed the past five weeks with a hamstring injury.

Edwards, who started the first six games for the Texans, was recently activated after serving a four-game suspension without pay for violating the NFL’s substances of abuse policy.

Both players are on the path to play Monday night in Arlington. The same might not be said about rookie cornerback Kamari Lassiter, who did not practice Tuesday afternoon.

Lassiter, Houston’s No. 2 cornerback, left during the third quarter of Week 10’s 26-23 loss against the Detroit Lions with a concussion. He’s currently in the protocol stages before being cleared to return.

Defensive end Will Anderson Jr. (ankle) and defensive tackle Foley Fatkukasi (foot) didn’t practice and might not make the trip north. Defensive end Denico Autry (rest day) is expected to be back on Friday.

Here’s a look at the injury report for the Texans and Cowboys after Thursday’s practice:

Is Will Anderson Jr. playing tonight? Latest injury updates for Texans DE

Will Anderson Jr. has been dealing with an ankle injury suffered in Week 9’s loss against the New York Jets and now will miss Sunday’s game.

The Houston Texans return home for Sunday Night Football in what could be a potential Super Bowl preview vs. the Detroit Lions. While the Texans will have multiple defenders back, one player could be out for another week.

Second-year defensive end Will Anderson Jr. did not practice throughout the week after suffering an ankle injury in Week 9’s loss against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium. Does that mean he’s out against the NFC favorites?

Here’s an update on the Texans’ star pass-rusher heading into their third primetime game.

Will Anderson Jr. injury update

Anderson, who won NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2023, left during the first quarter of Week 9’s loss after linebacker Neville Hewitt landed on his ankle. He was helped off the field by medical staff and was in and out of the medical blue tent.

While Anderson tried to return to the game, he was limited, playing four total snaps before halftime. After the break, the Texans listed him as questionable, but he did not return to help Houston mount a comeback.

Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said Anderson was in good spirits, but the team would be carefully monitoring him throughout the week.

“He’s doing well,” Ryans said at Wednesday’s press conference. “We’ll see where he ends up.

After missing Friday’s walkthrough, Anderson was ruled out for Sunday night.

How long will Will Anderson be out? 

It’s a week-to-week injury. If Anderson returns to practice next week, he’ll have an extra day to recover before the Texans travel to Arlington to take on the Dallas Cowboys in Week 11 at AT&T Stadium.

If he’s not, Houston could hold him out until Week 12 or 13 when it needs a win over AFC South foes Tennessee and Indianapolis, respectively.

Will Anderson Jr. stats

The former No. 3 overall pick was on a tear entering his sophomore season. Anderson was recently named the AFC Defensive Player of the Month the morning before his injury on Halloween after totaling five sacks and an NFL-leading seven tackles for loss in October.

Houston’s pass rush had led the NFL in pressures (128) before the Jets game. The Texans were held to just six pressures when Anderson wasn’t on the field last week.

For the season, Anderson has 7.5 sacks and 11 tackles for loss. At the time of his injury, he led the league in tackles for loss and ranked third in sacks.

Texans DE depth chart

With Anderson out, here’s the rest of the defensive ends on the active roster:

  • Danielle Hunter
  • Derek Barnett
  • Denico Autry
  • Dylan Horton

Kickoff from NRG Stadium is scheduled for 7:15 p.m.

Lions vs Texans: Final injury report and medical analysis

Lions vs Texans: Final injury report and medical analysis for the Week 10 matchup in Houston

I’m currently in Houston where it is warm (good) and very humid (bad). As a person who doesn’t like the feeling of having to take a shower every five minutes, I’m looking forward to watching the Lions in the air-conditioned comfort of the Texans indoor stadium. Technically, the roof is retractable so there is a chance it is opened to the night air, but it has only been open for one game since the 2021 season.

I’m also looking forward to seeing the fresh energy of multiple key Lions who got some non-injury-related time off – Brian Branch (ejection), Josh Paschal (shoulder mass excision), and Jameson Williams (suspension).

The Lions got a surprise downgrade this week with Taylor Decker who is out. The Lions haven’t played a backup OT yet this year (except for garbage time), so this could impact the game significantly. The rest of the Lions active starting roster on both sides of the ball is intact.

The Texans will be missing a star player on defense (Will Anderson), and likely their #1 WR on offense (Nico Collins). While Collins’ status is technically up-in-the-air, I have multiple reasons listed below why I suspect he won’t play.

The Texans #2 WR, Stefan Diggs is already out with an ACL. Thus, the Texans may be without their top three WR’s as there was a surprise downgrade during the week to #3 WR Tank Dell.

DETROIT LIONS

Taylor Decker OT (UL LP NP – Out) shoulder

Decker presumably hurt his shoulder in practice this week. Dan Campbell stated it’s probably not “something major” which is reassuring. Decker has a history of shoulder surgery in 2017 and it’s unknown if the current injury is related.

Jalen Reeves-Maybin LB (NP NP NP – Out) neck

The 3x NP is a bit concerning after being injured last game. It’s reassuring that he returned to the game late for the onside kick which suggests there were no signs of a spinal issue. Whether he is put on IR this weekend will tell us a lot.

Malcolm Rodriguez LB (NP NP NP – Out) ankle

Rodriguez suffered a scary-looking left ankle sprain early in the Titans game and missed the last game. There was optimism he might be available this weekend but that won’t happen. With 3x NP this week, next game vs the Jaguars is also in doubt.

Za’Darius Smith DE (NP NP FP – Questionable) personal

Smith got two days off to acclimate to his trade from the Browns. He hasn’t had a bye yet and the Lions did, so the Lions may give him a game off at some point. That game might be this Sunday.

Josh Paschal DE (FP FP FP – In) illness

Paschal is ready to go after missing two games for a benign shoulder mass excision.

Emmanuel Moseley CB (FP FP FP – Out) pec

Moseley’s tore his pec in August and has been out all year. His 21-day practice window opened November 6 which keeps him tracking along the 16-week timeline of CJ Gardner-Johnson’s pec tear of last year. Expect Moseley to be available around Thanksgiving.

Ifeatu Melifonwu S (FP FP FP – Out) ankle

Melifonwu has been out since the middle of preseason with a suspected Achilles issue. His 21-day practice window opened on November 6 which is a good sign that he’ll be available later this month.

Sione Vaki RB (FP FP FP – In) knee

Vaki hurt his knee late in the Titans game and missed the last game. Good news that it was minor.

Mekhi Wingo DT (FP FP FP – In) ankle

Wingo hurt his ankle presumably in practice last week and missed the last game. He is a valuable backup at the DT position.

Brodric Martin DT (FP FP FP – Out) knee

Martin is in his 2nd week of his 21-day practice window. Expect him to be moved to the active roster around November 20.

NOTABLES

Jameson Williams returns from his two game suspension.

HOUSTON TEXANS

Nico Collins WR (NP NP LP – Questionable) hamstring

The Texans top WR logically will be out for multiple reasons:
1)Hamstrings benefit from gradual ramp-up to prevent aggravation and a single LP is as steep a ramp as you can have.
2)He’s already missed four weeks to this injury so if he was going to try to play this Sunday, he would have started practicing on Wednesday. It’s not like those two extra rest days is making a significant difference in recovery for a game this weekend.

Tank Dell WR (UL UL LP – Questionable) back

If Dell can’t go, that would mean the Texans might be without their top 3 receivers on the year.

Will Anderson DE (NP NP NP – Out) ankle

On video, this star pass-rusher appeared to suffer a left high ankle sprain last game. Even mild high ankles can take a while to recover from, especially at the DE position (see Micah Parsons). Anderson leads the team with 7.5 sacks on the year so this is a big loss.

Derek Barnett DE (NP LP FP – In) calf/shoulder

Barnett is a part-timer at DE and has 2 sacks on the year. He likely will have a larger role with Anderson out.

NOTABLES

Stefan Diggs, the Texans 2nd-leading WR, is out for the year with a right ACL.

Mario Edwards, starting DT, is serving a suspension and is out for this game.

Kenyon Green, starting LG, is out for the year and was replaced by Kendrick Green last game.

Here is the full Texans report:

Texans could be without top pass-rusher for Week 10 showdown vs. Lions

Will Anderson Jr. might not be back in time for Sunday’s showdown against the Detroit Lions on Sunday Night Football.

Will Anderson Jr. could be back in time for the Houston Texans’ Week 10 showdown against the Detroit Lions, but his chances feel slim after Thursday’s practice.

The second-year defensive end did not partake in drills during the open media session and was listed as a non-participant on the injury report. Barring a last-second return on Friday, it seems unlikely that Anderson will play on Sunday Night Football as Houston debuts its new “Battle Red” jerseys.

Anderson, a favorite to win Defensive Player of the Year, suffered an ankle injury during the first quarter after teammate Neville Hewitt landed on him while trying to make a tackle on running back Breece Hall. He was able to work out on the sidelines and tried to make a comeback three separate times, but he only played three snaps before missing the second half.

Anderson dealt with a lingering ankle injury through this preseason and missed two games last season because of it en route to winning the 2023 Defensive Rookie of the Year honor. He’s

Players who don’t practice the first two days of the week usually are ruled out for Sunday’s matchup. Anderson, who entered last week as the NFL leader in tackles for loss, likely must practice in some capacity during Friday’s walkthroughs if he plans to play.

It’s not impossible for a player for a player to miss two days of practice and then return for gameday. Defensive tackle Foley Fatukasi didn’t practice until Friday’s walkthrough before the Texans’ Week 7 matchup against the Green Bay Packers after dealing with a shoulder injury.

Tight end Dalton Schultz played after an ankle injury sidelined him for two days prior to Week 2’s primetime matchup against the Chicago Bears.

Both practiced on Friday, however, giving them a chance to show up on the injury report as “questionable.” Friday will be perhaps the most crucial day for evaluation of Anderson’s status.

Without the former No. 3 overall pick, Houston likely turns to a combination of Derek Barnett and Denico Autry as the top two pass-rushers opposite Danielle Hunter.

Much like Nico Collins, Anderson was on the trajectory for a career-defining season. He throttled opponents with five sacks over his past four games, leading to his first AFC Defensive Player of the Month honor.

Kickoff is scheduled for 7:15 p.m. The game will be nationally televised on NBC.

Texans provide update on DE Will Anderson Jr.

The Houston Texans could be without their leading sack artist entering Week 10’s matchup at NRG Stadium.

The Houston Texans are in wait-and-see mode with defensive end Will Anderson Jr. entering Sunday night’s matchup against the Detroit Lions.

Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said the second-year defensive end would be “evaluated closely” throughout practice to determine his status for the matchup against the NFC North favorites.

“We’re still evaluating Will,” Ryans said Monday. “We’ll see how he progresses throughout the week.”

Anderson, October’s AFC Defensive Player of the Month, left during halftime in Thursday night’s loss against the New York Jets with an ankle injury. When trying to tackle running back Breece Hall, linebacker Neville Hewitt landed on Anderson’s left ankle.

While Anderson tried to return to the game — and did partially during the second quarter with the ankle heavily tapped —he was ruled out before the start of the third quarter. Houston’s defense allowed three touchdown passes to Aaron Rodgers en route to an 8-point victory.

Houston’s sack leader must return if it plans on slowing down the Lions’ offensive line. Detriot, which secured a 10-point victory on the road at Lambeau Field against the Green Bay Packers, has allowed 18 sacks through eight games.

The Lions have allowed the league’s fifth-fewest pressures (85) this season.

“They have a lot of good players, a lot of good young players that are exhibiting that mindset and that culture,” Ryans said. “It is a really good team coming in here this week and we are very excited about the matchup.“ 

Kickoff is scheduled for 7:15 p.m. 

Houston Texans’ Will Anderson named AFC Defensive Player of the Month

Former Alabama LB Will Anderson Jr. named Defensive Player of the Month in the AFC.

DeMeco Ryans and the Houston Texans’ decision to trade back up to the No. 3 overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft to select former Alabama LB Will Anderson gets better each week. Anderson has been a wrecking force since he got to the league a season ago and was named the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year for 2023.

So far, Anderson has picked up right where he left off last year with 27 total tackles, 7.5 sacks and one fumble recovery through nine games. As a result, Anderson was named the AFC Defensive Player of the Month for October. Ryans, an Alabama alum as well, has been the perfect defensive mentor for Anderson and it appears as if the two will be together in Houston for some time.

When people want to discuss who the best defensive player of the Nick Saban era was at Alabama, Anderson has certainly made an impressive case for himself. The former two-time Nagurski winner and two-time SEC Defensive Player of the Year is looking at a Pro Bowl selection and maybe even All-Pro consideration if he continues to play at this level.

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Texans DE Will Anderson Jr. named AFC Defensive Player of the Month

Houston Texans defensive end Will Anderson Jr. made a case to win Defensive Player of the Year for his performance in the month of October.

Another week, another accolade for Houston Texans defensive end Will Anderson Jr.

The second year pass-rusher was named AFC Defensive Player of the Month Thursday, the league office announced prior to Houston’s matchup against the New York Jets.

This marks the first time Anderson has earned Player of the Month honors. The former No. 3 overall pick has been the defensive back toward a 3-1 record during the month of October and 6-2 overall, the team’s best start since 2012.

Entering Thursday’s game, Anderson recorded 17 tackles, including an NFL-leading seven for loss. He’s also accumulated five sacks, one pass defensed that resulted in an interception and one fumble recovery that sealed a victory.

His sacks led the AFC and ranked second in the NFL during October, while also recording 12 stops at or behind the line of scrimmage, the second-most in the NFL.

Drafted out of Alabama in 2023, Anderson  has recorded at least one sack in the last three contests, just one-of-eight players to do so across the league this year. His magic month is highlighted by a Week 6 performance that featured four tackles for loss, a career-high three sacks and a pass defensed that was deflected to his teammate for an interception.

Anderson’s career day concluded with him being honored as AFC Defensive Player of the Week after becoming just the 12th player in NFL history to record at least five tackles, four tackles for loss, 3.0 sacks and one pass defensed in a game.

Through eight games, Anderson has a career-high 7.5 sacks and also leads the NFL with 11 tackles for loss.

This marks the 20th time a Texan has been honored as player of the month and the first time a defensive player has garnered the award since J.J. Watt claimed the nod in September of 2018.

The Texans return to NRG Stadium to take on the Detroit Lions on Nov. 10 as the primetime game on Sunday Night Football.

Texans DE Will Anderson Jr. joins Alabama legend on sack list

Will Anderson posted three sacks in Sunday’s win over the New England Patriots and made Alabama football history in the process.

Houston Texans defensive end Will Anderson Jr. was first a star at the University of Alabama before he ever arrived at NRG Stadium.

Now, he joins a fellow Saturday legend in the Sunday history books.

With his three-sack outing in Sunday’s win over the New England Patriots, Aderson joined Hall of Fame linebacker and former Crismon Tide standout Derrick Thomas as one of 16 Alabama alums to accomplish the feat.

Thomas, who played 10 seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs, leads all Alabama players in three-sack outings in 10. He also holds the NFL record for the most sacks in a game with seven.

Anderson has a ways to go before he enters the same conversation as Thomas, but he could have had the best game of his young career. On top of totaling three sacks, Anderson finished with eight tackles, four tackles for loss and a pass deflection against rookie quarterback Drake Maye that led to an interception by Eric Murray.

“Massive game for him,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said. “To be able to get after the quarterback the way he did with three sacks, also forced an interception by Murray.

“I felt his mindset in pregame warmups, so I knew it was going to be a really good day for him. Will, he’s getting better every week. This is his best game by far.”

Anderson is on the trajectory to earn Defensive Player of the Year recognition entering Week 7’s road trip against the Green Bay Packers. He leads the NFL in tackles for loss with nine and ranks fifth in sacks with 5.5.

Those in Tuscaloosa knew of Anderson’s potential. At Alabama, he was a two-time unanimous All-American, SEC Defensive Player of the Year and Bronko Nagurski Trophy winner as a linebacker.

After being drafted No. 3 overall in the 2023 NFL Draft, Houston moved him from a 3-4 outside linebacker to a 4-3 defensive. Nothing changed about his approach. The future Pro Bowl would tie J.J. Watt for the Texans’ rookie sack record with seven en route to winning the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Award.

Thomas, who passed away in 2000 at the age of 33, finished with 126.5 career sacks. Entering the halfway point of the new season, Anderson currently sits with 12.5.

Kickoff at Lambeau Field is scheduled for noon CT.