Tag: Will Anderson

2024 Pro Bowl roster: Texans DE Will Anderson replaces injured Raiders DE Maxx Crosby

Texans DE Will Anderson replaces injured Maxx Crosby on Pro Bowl roster

Three weeks ago, Maxx Crosby was named to his third straight Pro Bowl. The first of those Pro Bowls was the last time the NFL actually held a contact football game. And Crosby won Defensive MVP. So, clearly Crosby knows just one speed, and doesn’t like to miss opportunities to suit up.

This time, however, the choice wasn’t really in his hands. Crosby dealt with a serious knee injury for last half of the season as well as a thumb injury. Those two injuries required immediate attention, so last week, he got the knee surgery done and the thumb surgery happened this week.

With Crosby laid up and preparing for next season, his part in the Pro Bowl games needed to be replaced.

The lucky recipient is Texans’ DE Will Anderson.

Anderson won the PFWA Rookie of the Year recently after a season in which he put up seven sacks, 22 QB hits, 10 tackles for loss, and 45 combined tackles.

See the 2024 Pro Bowl roster here.

C.J. Stroud, Will Anderson Jr. earn Rookie of the Year honors from PFWA

Texans rookies C.J. Stroud and Will Anderson Jr. earned the first of many awards in their bright futures.

Two Houston Texans rookies began collecting the first of many awards in their bright futures.

The Pro Football Writers of America recognized quarterback C.J. Stroud as Offensive Rookie of the Year and defensive end Will Anderson Jr. as Defensive Rookie of the Year. Stroud was also awarded the PFWA’s NFL Rookie of the Year.

Houston went into the 2023 NFL draft in desperate need on the offensive side of the ball, and they found it after using their second overall selection to draft Stroud out of Ohio State to solidify their quarterback position for many years to come. He started 15 games for the Texans, completing 319-of-499 pass attempts for a rookie franchise-record 4,108 yards, 23 touchdowns, five interceptions, and a passer rating of 100.8, marking the third-best passer rating by a rookie in NFL history.

With 4,108 passing yards, Stroud ranks third in the NFL amongst rookie signal callers while leading all rookies this past season in all major passing categories. He finished the 2023 campaign with 4,557 total passing yards, including the postseason, the second-most ever by a rookie. Stroud earned AFC Offensive Player of the Week honors in Week 9 and 18 this season, the latter after he led the Texans to a 23-19 victory over the Indianapolis Colts in a must-win game to solidify a spot in the 2023 NFL Postseason Playoffs.

Stroud also won NFL Offensive Rookie of the Month and AFC Player of the Month for November, becoming just the second rookie quarterback in league history to win AFC Offensive Player of the Month and just the fifth player ever to earn NFL Offensive Rookie of the Month in the same month.

The two-time Heisman Finalist proved to Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans and general manager Nick Caserio that they made the right decision by protecting the football. Stroud began his career with a record 192 consecutive pass attempts without an interception, the most ever by a player to begin a career, and threw 198 pass attempts without an interception to conclude his rookie campaign.

His 4.60 touchdown-to-interception ratio and league-leading 273.9 passing yards per game landed him third in NFL history behind Joe Montana (1989) and Tom Brady (2007), finishing first in both categories.

Outside of offensive help, the Texans also needed a player who could bring a physical presence on the defensive side of the ball and help improve the league’s worst run defense. They found that in Anderson, who was selected one pick after Stroud when the Texans used future draft capital to trade with the Arizona Cardinals for the third overall draft pick.

The two-time SEC Defensive Player of the Year started in 13 games, totaling 45 tackles, including 10 tackles for loss, 67 pressures, 7.0 sacks, one pass defensed, and one blocked field goal. His 7.0 sacks this season set a new rookie franchise record for most sacks in a single season, and his 67 pressures led all rookies in the NFL this year.

Anderson was very noticeable on tape throughout the season, causing offensive coordinators to ensure they either ran away from him or had enough protection for the quarterback. He had his best performance in the Week 13 matchup against the Denver Broncos. His five tackles (three solo), 2.0 sacks, four quarterback hits, and two tackles for loss helped the Texans secure the victory over the Broncos, snapping their five-game winning streak.

Hailed as one of the hardest workers on the field by defensive coordinator Matt Burke, who also coached former Texans defensive great J.J. Watt, Anderson shunned the superstar label early, doing whatever it took to help the team. In Week 3 at Jacksonville, he lined up on special teams and blocked a field goal, becoming the first Texans rookie to block a field goal since Watt in 2011.

How the Texans can attack projected MVP Lamar Jackson

The Texans will face the difficult task of defending MVP candidate Lamar Jackson. Here’s how they can limit him.

There’s no such thing as an easy NFL divisional playoff game.

Anytime a team makes it to this point in the season, with the best remaining eight squads, everyone is solid. The Houston Texans have known this all too well. This is just the fifth time in franchise history they’ve advanced to the AFC divisional round, and they’ve never made it to the conference championship game, suffering losses to the New England Patriots (2012 and 2016 seasons), Kansas City Chiefs (2019) and Baltimore Ravens (2011).

This one shapes up to be particularly challenging as, for all the greatness of their own quarterback in rookie C.J. Stroud, they’ll face projected league MVP Lamar Jackson.

Jackson, the winner of the 2019 NFL MVP award and this year’s anticipated winner, has surged under first-year offensive coordinator Todd Monken. He threw for 3,678 yards, 24 touchdowns and seven interceptions in the regular season while rushing for 821 yards and five touchdowns. His revamped offense, with receivers Zay Flowers, Odell Beckham Jr. and Rashod Bateman, was one of the most dynamic in the league. With a top-tier defense as well, the Ravens cruised to a 13-4 record.

That included a decisive 25-9 victory over the Texans in Week 1. Houston’s defense did their job, allowing Jackson only 169 passing yards and forcing an interception, but their offensive deficiencies couldn’t be overcome. Since then, Baltimore’s offense certainly has improved, and so has Houston’s defense, which has jelled under head coach DeMeco Ryans.

How can the Texans repeat their Week 1 performance against Jackson? It likely starts up front.

Houston had 16 quarterback pressures and four sacks in Week 1. Defensive coordinator Matt Burke spoke on Wednesday about how everything starts with the discipline and effectiveness of the defensive line.

“It’s going to be sort of like we’ve preached all year, but even at a heightened level of rushing as a unit. We can’t have independent contractors out there. It’s definitely going to be about guys staying in their rush areas,” Burke said of his unit needing to work cohesively. “If you get out of your area and out of your lane, and kind of where we’re trying to put it all together, if you get out, then he’s going to make you pay. So, I would probably say just from a discipline – a rush-discipline level – this is the ultimate [challenge] this week, for sure.”

Will Anderson and Jonathan Greenard, despite fighting injuries this week, will need to be at their best in this game. Their ability to generate pressure one-on-one and be used creatively on stunts generates an enormous amount of stress on the offensive line when paired with defensive tackles Sheldon Rankins and Maliek Collins. Jackson can fry any defense if he’s given too much time, whether with his legs or his arm.

Another way to generate pressure is to give the defensive line more time, or simply cover up passing outlets. Houston’s defensive back group is coming off one of their best performances of the season against Cleveland Browns quarterback Joe Flacco.

Burke had more to say on the coverage component of covering Baltimore.

“Part of that preaching, even in coverage, there’s no clock on the coverage,” he said. “It’s – you have to defend the second play. We had him a couple of times where we kind of felt like we had him in the grass, and then he breaks out, and then he makes a play downfield. Hopefully not for that many yards, but it is a mental battle too, of like, we’ve got to keep coming, we’ve got to keep coming.”

Burke further discussed the tough task of stopping Jackson.

“You’ve got to throw waves at them,” he said. “He’s going to make some plays, right? There’s a reason he’s in the MVP conversation. He’s had a great season and he’s a great player, so we understand that there’s going to be plays that are made out there. It’s definitely going to be part of our mindset of, ‘Hey, next play – back up.’ We have a plan of how we want to approach it and we’ve got to stick with it.”

Don’t be surprised to see more varied coverage looks against the Ravens and further utilization of the special, emerging talent that is second-year cornerback Derek Stingley. Stingley shut down Amari Cooper last week and will likely see a heavy load of Baltimore leading receiver Zay Flowers, the only player to gather over 100 targets from Jackson this season. It could be difficult with Flowers’ usage in the slot, but nevertheless it won’t be a surprise if the Texans try to get Stingley on him.

Like last week, cornerbacks Steven Nelson and Desmond King will be tasked to cover secondary playmakers. Beckham is one of the better No. 2 receivers in the league but won’t represent an overwhelming physical matchup for Nelson, whose outstanding year culminated in a pick-six last week.

Linebackers Christian Harris and Blake Cashman will have to work in tandem with the safety group to stall former All-Pro Mark Andrews, if he’s able to suit up for the game. As with the Browns’ David Njoku last week, this may be an area of the field they’re happy to force Jackson to work toward.

All together, stout coverage on the back end with a good performance from the pass rushers should be enough to get consistent pressure on Jackson and hopefully sacks. However, pressure isn’t enough. Jackson was the league’s best passer against pressure this season.

How do you bring down a quarterback so elusive? Additional help never hurts.

Ryans has rarely blitzed six or more this season, but when he has, it’s been effective. The Texans have the second-highest pressure rate on opposing quarterbacks and have the fifth-best passer rating allowed in the NFL at 69.7. It’s resulted in two interceptions and just two touchdowns allowed despite a relatively low success rate (21st).

The last time they played against Baltimore, Houston wasn’t afraid to send the house at Jackson. They blitzed him five times, one of just four games this season at that volume, and forced a turnover.

Jackson goes from the league’s best passer, or at least a top passer, to extremely average against heavy blitz looks. He ranked 29th of 42 eligible passers in EPA/db and 36th in passer rating against such blitzes this year. The man coverages looks that they come with, and relative overloading of defensive bodies, also mean that it’s difficult for Jackson to use his legs.

Jackson’s EPA/db significantly decreases when forced to play against man coverage, likely for this very reason. He’s scrambled on only 10.5% of man dropbacks compared to 14.5% when facing zone. In this way, Ryans could gamble against Jackson as a pure drop-back passer in the right situations and eliminate the chaotic element of his running.

It won’t be an every-down flavor for Houston. The Texans like to rush four, and that’s their philosophy. However, expect them to dial up five to 10 plays where they work to heat up Jackson and force the kind of high-variance decision-making that can swing plays.

If everyone can play their assignments on downs and Ryans dials up his magic at just the right time, Houston may be able to slow Jackson.

The Texans went all-in with DeMeco Ryans and CJ Stroud and won

The Texans’ future is so bright with DeMeco Ryans and CJ Stroud.

DeMeco Ryans has been around the NFL for nearly two decades as a player and a coach. He’s worn every hat — from being in charge of quality control to coordinating the defense — and has shined incandescently amongst his peers. At this stage, one thing is apparent about the 39-year-old Houston Texans’ leader: everything he touches, and I mean everything, turns to gold.

King Midas, eat your heart out.

The Houston Texans weren’t supposed to beat the Cleveland Browns on Saturday afternoon. Despite an AFC South division title and a home playoff game, the Browns were favored, the experienced team who was about to show Ryans’ young Texans the ropes in a tight postseason atmosphere. Even the NFL might have inadvertently endorsed the Texans’ low voltage by placing them in the sleepy afternoon timeslot. There were likely few souls outside of Houston’s city limits who believed in this team continuing its season.

By the time the game clock showed all zeroes, with a dominant 45-14 score in favor of the Texans, that narrative was dead. It’s all thanks to Ryans and his golden touch.

The Texans are in the Divisional Round for the first time in half a decade because they believed in Ryans. They gave the former elite San Francisco 49ers’ defensive play-caller a six-year contract from the jump because they saw his potential and the impact he could have on their players. They pushed all their chips in on one of the finest young coaches in the sport because they wholeheartedly trusted his process, his decision-making, and his uncanny ability to steer a ship through rough waters.

We’ve seen it all season long, but Saturday’s emphatic performance in a playoff setting was an exclamation point. The Texans’ faith in Ryans was not misplaced. At all.

Let’s set aside Ryans’ evident impact on game day for a second.

Even while he seems the perfect leader for a young “rebuilding” team, Ryans set the Texans’ success into motion the moment they selected CJ Stroud (274 yards, three touchdowns on Saturday) and Will Anderson (one sack) in last year’s NFL Draft. Oh, and lest we forget, he also hired Bobby Slowik — perhaps the premier head coaching candidate this cycle — to develop Houston’s quarterback. Gee, I wonder who was instrumental in helping Stroud enjoy the best rookie season for a quarterback in NFL history?

It’s not rocket science, folks.

Support your signal-caller properly from the outset, and they will shine.

In one offseason, the Texans nailed their head coach and offensive coordinator hires. They had the faces of the franchise on offense and defense. Put another way, Houston landed a Coach of the Year frontrunner, who then brought in a blazing hot head coaching candidate to coordinate his offense, and they added the likely Offensive and Defensive Rookies of the Year in one giant swoop. There are grand slams and there are moon shots into the stratosphere.

Ryans’ personnel masterstrokes for the Texans would qualify under the latter distinction.

No matter who the Texans play next weekend, they will likely be underdogs again. That’s just the nature of the beast when you’re not a traditional powerhouse. But underestimating what one of the NFL’s youngest teams can achieve in the bright lights of January would be a grave mistake. It would overlook Ryans, who has pushed all the right buttons for nearly a year. Why would he make a misstep now?

It would also discount what Stroud, Anderson, and Co. are all capable of together. It’s worth wondering whether this might only be their floor, not their ceiling. These Texans seem certifiably special in every meaningful way.

Saturday afternoon’s humiliation of the Browns was a statement. Ryans’ Texans are here to stay. Even if they fall short of a Super Bowl victory this year — which suddenly seems much more feasible — this feels like it’s the beginning of a franchise on the ascent. This felt like the start of an extended run as an AFC powerhouse for a decade or more. This could have been the Texans’ breakthrough moment into consistent prominence.

Everything Ryans touches turns to gold. No wonder the Texans are cashing in.

Texans stomp Browns 45-14, advance to divisional round

The Houston Texans pulled way ahead in the second half to beat the Cleveland Browns.

The magic continues for first year head coach DeMeco Ryans and the Houston Texans after the 45-14 win over the Cleveland Browns in the wild card round.

As recently as Christmas Eve, the Houston Texans were embarrassed by Cleveland Browns quarterback Joe Flacco and receiver Amari Cooper in a 36-22 loss during Week 16. After winning the AFC South the last week of the season, they had the opportunity to take advantage.

The Texans certainly capitalized.

Houston beat Cleveland 45-14 in a dominant victory that saw the Texans put together their most complete game of the season on both sides of the ball. They led throughout most of the first half, going to the locker room up, 24-14, and never looked back.

Rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud fueled the early lead and he finished with 274 yards and 3 touchdowns against the NFL’s best defense of the 2023 season. His season long connection with receiver Nico Collins and tight end Dalton Schultz was once again on display.

Collins had 6 receptions for 96 yards and a touchdown. Schultz overcame an early drop with a 37-yard touchdown catch before the end of the first half. Joining in the offensive explosion, third-year tight end Brevin Jordan had Houston’s longest offensive play of the season with a 76-yard receiving touchdown on a tight end screen.

It was the best game of the season from offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik and the team could seemingly do no wrong. Running back Devin Singletary took 13 carries for 66 yards and a touchdown while pacing the offense before Davis Mills and the backups were able to take over with around 9 minutes left in the fourth quarter.

Of course, there’s no blowout with DeMeco Ryans and his defense playing ravenous football.

If Joe Flacco had been on a Cinderella run, it came crashing back down to earth on Saturday. The third quarter saw Flacco throw consecutive pick-sixes, one to Steven Nelson and the other to linebacker Christian Harris, while facing constant pressure. Flacco finished with 307 yards and a touchdown but couldn’t overcome the two turnovers for scores.

Flacco was pressured on 15 of his drop backs, Will Anderson Jr. had 7 while Derek Barnett had 6. Anderson and Barnett both had sacks while Harris and defensive tackle Kurt Hinish chipped in their own for a total of 4 on the day.

No Browns running back went for more than 30 yards as the defense suffocated Cleveland on the ground and forced them to become one dimensional. Amari Cooper, who had over 200 receptions on the first contest, had just 4 receptions for 59 yards in the rematch as Houston found answers.

It was a dominant victory in what has been an incredible debut season for Ryans and Stroud in turning around the Houston Texans. It’s the kind of win that will inspire major confidence in the divisional round, potentially see coaches like Bobby Slowik have opportunities to become a head coach, and ultimately one that signals the team will a force to consider in Super Bowl conversations for years to come.

The Texans will now await the results of the next 2 AFC playoffs games to see where the playoff road will take them.

How Texans rookie group chat laid the foundation for a winning culture

This Texans rookie class came in wanting to be the foundation that turned things around, and that’s exactly what they’ve done.

Houston Texans rookie wide receiver Xavier Hutchinson looked down at his phone, which had notified him that he had a text message waiting. There were a lot of numbers he did not recognize right away, but he knew it came from his new NFL teammates because of the positive message he read as soon as he opened it up.

Hutchinson, who the Texans selected with the 205th pick in the sixth round of the 2023 NFL draft, did not want to disclose to Texans Wire what the message said, but he expressed that it made him ready to get to work immediately.

As Houston prepares for their first playoff game since 2019 at NRG Stadium against the Cleveland Browns, the 2023 AFC South Champions have depended a lot on the rookie class to help get them to this point.

“That group manifested it into the world without us even knowing it before everything started,” Hutchinson said Thursday after practice. “Now it is just crazy to look back at those text messages and see where we are. We did everything we said we were going to do.”

The two most prominent names that stand out from first-year head coach DeMeco Ryans’ rookies are dynamic quarterback C.J. Stroud and ferocious edge rusher Will Anderson Jr., who the Texans made the cornerstones of the offense and defense by drafting them back-to-back (Stroud at No. 2, Anderson at No. 3) in the draft.

So, it isn’t surprising that the two took it upon themselves to gather all the rookie’s numbers and text them to let them know they were all together, no matter where they were drafted.

“Me and C.J. always knew that the purpose in coming here was to change the culture and try to build a new foundation and get the guys going,” Anderson told Texans Wire. “I think it starts with the draft class we have. Me and C.J. wanted to let the guys know what we are trying to do. This is what we are trying to accomplish, and it really starts with us. If we can go out and have energy and show how to practice the right way, then it will start affecting everyone in the whole organization.

“The most important part of the group text was, ‘It starts with us.’ However, we go about it if we don’t conform to the energy around the building and we make our own energy. We showed positive energy, and it was really more the people. On the field, it is going to take care of itself. How are we around the building? How are we greeting people? Are we just walking past them? No, this rookie class, we speak to everybody we walk past, and we always have a smile on our faces. The biggest thing is we pick each other up when we are down. We show energy in everything we do, and it just floods through the whole locker room. That is what I think we did to get the rookies to understand.”

Communication and understanding the task is how each rookie approached the season, from the rookie minicamp to completing the regular season with a gritty 23-19 victory over the Indianapolis Colts to advance to the postseason.

“Even though we are rookies, we are the tone-setters; we are the first ones that DeMeco drafted, and he believes in us,” said rookie linebacker Henry To’o To’o. “We took that and kind of ran with it. I think that is what makes our group so special. The confidence we have in each other and in our teammates. In rookie camp, it was trash-talking, and we were out there competing, and I just think it comes with the confidence we have in each other. There was no question about the goals and aspirations that we had and whether we could reach them or not.”

The veterans on the team have recognized how close of a unit the 2023 rookie draft class is, and they do their part to ensure they keep the chemistry they have created. They understand the talent is there but are more impressed with how they have become a unit without isolating other teammates. What is more inspiring is that they also seek knowledge from the veterans to make themselves better.

“They bring tenacity to the table,” said Texans defensive end Jonathan Greenard about the rookies. “I don’t see another rookie class topping them that has this type of firepower and how mature they are as well.”

Although they carry themselves like tenured NFL veterans, many must remember that these are also young men who were in college around individuals their age and younger this time last year. So, it is not unusual to find out how funny wide receiver Tank Dell is in the group text or how much trash-talking Stroud does in some of his responses. When Anderson is not studying film or doing something football-related, he has confessed that he loves to joke back and forth.

“We have a lot of comedians,” said Hutchinson, who also admitted he is a terrible responder regarding texting. “C.J. always has the comebacks. Tank is just one funny individual. Will is serious, but he has a little funny side to him. I can throw myself in there, but it all depends on the day you catch me; I can be funny.”

Houston’s hopes of advancing to the next round of the NFL playoffs will depend a lot on the production of the rookies who are seeking revenge from a 36-22 Week 16 embarrassing loss to the Browns. Anderson (ankle) and Stroud (concussion) both missed the game, and the Texans’ offense struggled to move the ball against the Browns’ defense.

In contrast, Cleveland’s offense moved freely as the Texans’ defense could not stop quarterback Joe Flacco (368 yards passing and three touchdowns) and wide receiver Amari Cooper (265 yards receiving and two touchdowns).

Things should be different this Saturday when Stroud, the leading candidate for NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, and Anderson, who is in contention to capture the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Award, return to the field.

Suppose they can help the Texans advance to the divisional round. In that case, they can attribute most of their success to their ability to lead and instill confidence in their fellow rookie teammates.

“We said it was something when we all got drafted; we’d get a group chat together,” said Stroud. “It was just us, the rookies, and we were like, ‘Man, we’re going to be the foundation that changes this thing around,’ and lo and behold, that’s kind of what came to be true.

“Of course, it’s not just us, it’s plenty of vets and guys who have been here – a lot of different people who have held people accountable and done their job at a high level, but I definitely think that the group of guys we brought in – there’s been times where the rookies have led, and I think everybody can agree with that. It’s been cool just to see some of the things we talked about come to fruition.”

Texans EDGE Will Anderson Jr. had big impact in return vs. Titans

Will Anderson set the Texans rookie single-season sack record in his return vs. the Titans.

HOUSTON – – Every fan in attendance at NRG Stadium had heard the announcement during the week of the return of rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud to the lineup in Week 17 against the Tennessee Titans. He missed the previous two games due to being placed in NFL concussion protocol following a vicious hit he took at MetLife Stadium against the New York Jets when his head bounced off the turf.

What kept the Texans fans on edge pregame and raised their sports anxiety was waiting on a particular name to be absent from the game’s inactive list. They breathed a sigh of relief when rookie edge rusher Will Anderson Jr.’s name did not appear on the list, making him eligible to return on Sunday.

Just like Stroud, Anderson was also removed from the Jets game on Dec. 10 when he suffered a high ankle sprain after his cleat got stuck in the maligned turf at MetLife Stadium, which has been deemed one of the worst stadiums to play by former and current players.

Even though he did not start and was on a limited snap count, Anderson made the best of his time in the game, torturing offensive linemen and causing chaos and confusion for the Titans quarterbacks. He had back-to-back sacks late in the second quarter to help keep Tennessee from reaching the end zone before the half, limiting the Titans to a field goal, which would be their only score of the day.

Anderson finished the game with two sacks, two tackles for loss, three quarterback hits, and six quarterback pressures.

With his two-sack performance, the former two-time SEC Defensive Player of the Year set the Texans’ single-season rookie record for sacks with seven with one game remaining in the regular season, surpassing Whitney Mercilus (2012) and Brooks Reed (2011), who each had six sacks in their rookie seasons.

“None of this happens without those guys in the [defensive] line room,” said Anderson about setting the Texans rookie sack record. “I give all glory to God for blessing me to be a part of this team, blessing me to be a part of the [defensive] line that we have here, and just the guys that’s in the room. When I’m down, they pick me right back up.”

“They always say, ‘You’re a leader, you’re having a good year regardless of what anybody has to say, any of the haters have to say.’ They always keep me grounded and make sure I’m staying focused on the right things. I’ve got to give a big shout-out to those guys because without them, without God placing them in my life, I don’t even think I would be here right now where I’m at.”

During his time away from the game, Anderson had time to reflect on his rookie season and how he could improve when he was cleared to be back on the field. Not being able to compete with his brothers was difficult, especially with the Texans in the running to make the playoffs for the first time since 2019.

“It was the hardest,” Anderson responded when asked how tough the last couple of weeks had been for him. “I’m like aaah! I’m the type, when I’m watching ball, especially when I’m on the team, I get very anxious. I want to be out there. I’ve got to be out there. It was very hard to turn on some of the games and watch the games because I want to be out there. Then again, I’m supporting my [brothers] and everything like that.”

“Like I said, I think it’s all about being a pro and learning how to be a pro. These last two weeks have been really good mentally. And, of course, physically getting my ankle right and resting my body.”

Although he knew he would not be fully healthy coming into the game on Sunday, Anderson wanted to do whatever it took to help the team, which was a similar situation he faced during his sophomore season at Alabama. Anderson took a helmet to the knee during a game against Mercer in the third quarter, had to exit the game, and did not return. He was questionable heading into the following game against the Florida Gators, which required a sit down with head coach Nick Saban.

“I didn’t know if I was going to be able to play that week,” said Anderson. “They were talking about surgery and all this other stuff. I remember Coach Saban sat me in his office, and he’s just like nobody is 100 percent right now at this time. Everybody is banged up. I know you’ve got your injury going on. He was like, ‘It just shows you’re a warrior. It shows what type of competitor you are.’ Those are the type of moments that you never forget, and you go out there and ball out for your brothers and everything like that, and God is taking care of you.”

The warrior inside of Anderson led him to SEC Defensive Player of the Week honors for his performance against the Gators despite playing through pain. The third overall selection in the 2023 NFL Draft may not garner the same type of honors from the NFL this week, but he knows how valuable his return to the lineup was for the Texans.

“For me, that’s all I was thinking about this week was just like how can I be a warrior,” Anderson told reporters after the game. “How can I be a competitor? Trust in God, knowing that he makes no mistakes. Everything happens for a reason. My brothers have got my back, and I’ve got their back. That’s just where I kind of was going into this week.”

Will Anderson Jr. sets Texans record, makes late push for Defensive Rookie of the Year

Will Anderson Jr. is making a late push for Defensive Rookie of the Year after setting a Texans record on Sunday

The Houston Texans have missed Will Anderson Jr.

They decided the pass rusher from Alabama could be a future face of their franchise when they selected him third overall in the 2023 NFL draft. General manager Nick Caserio and head coach DeMeco Ryans’ faith was even further shown through the hefty trade price, including two first-round picks, they paid to move back into the top three after selecting quarterback C.J. Stroud.

By all accounts, his season to date had been a success. He had five sacks, 42 tackles and 56 quarterback pressures while playing a huge role in the Texans massive turnaround in run defense. Anderson had consistently shown the talent and explosiveness that captivated Houston’s coaching staff despite missing their Week 15 and 16 contests.

On Sunday, he added another feather in his cap.

Anderson had one of the best games of his young career against the Tennessee Titans. He gathered two sacks, both on the same drive, and six quarterback pressures while terrorizing both Will Levis and backup Ryan Tannehill. Per Next Gen Stats, Anderson had a pressure rate of 54.5%, affecting the quarterback on over half of his snaps played.

The performance was not only a huge boost for the Texans team hopes, as the win put them in position to clinch an AFC Wild Card spot if they can win their Week 18 finale in Indianapolis, but also gave him some personal accolades.

His seven sacks on the season passed Whitney Mercilus for the most by a Houston Texans rookie in franchise history. For comparison, franchise legend J.J. Watt had only 5.0 in his rookie campaign. It could have also helped him from a national perspective.

The Defensive Rookie of the Year award is far from a done contest, albeit Philadelphia defensive tackle Jalen Carter is a huge betting favorite. Anderson’s two-sack performance allowed him to pass Carter in the category and his narrative as a compelling factor in Houston’s turnaround, in a potential playoff season, may be enough to capture voters.

Certainly, there are bigger concerns for Anderson than personal awards or franchise records. Houston fans, however, have to feel quite good that their team has incredible building blocks on both sides on the football. They’ll see next week whether or not it’s enough to make the AFC playoffs .

Texans could without Blake Cashman and Will Anderson vs. Titans

Blake Cashman and Will Anderson both picked up injuries in Week 14 and may not play in Week 15.

The Houston Texans defense could be without two of its best front-seven players this week against the Tennessee Titans.

Neither linebacker Blake Cashman (hamstring) nor rookie edge rusher Will Anderson (ankle) has practiced this week and both are uncertain to suit up in Week 15. Cashman will reportedly miss one-to-two weeks with his injury, according to KPRC 2’s Aaron Wilson, while the severity of Anderson’s is unclear.

Cashman’s veteran absence will be a huge loss for the Texans. Apart from his production – 87 combined tackles, one interception, two sacks, five pass breakups and five quarterback hits – Houston moves Cashman around to put him in the best matchups against opposing offensive players. That idea will remain with him out of the lineup, but defense coordinator Matt Burke expounded on how important those situations are to the defense.

“This game at its core is about matchups, and so we’re trying to put our guys in the best matchups possible,” Burke said Thursday. “… And the players, they’re put in those positions to try to mitigate that for us. So, again, all those guys have played in those spots. Denzel [Perryman] has played a lot of football in his life, and Christian [Harris] has been good for us all year and some of those guys. So, again, it’s really just us trying to get us in the right spots and be in the matchups we want to be in.”

Anderson would also be hard to replace if he missed Week 15. The rookie has five sacks, 19 quarterback hits and eight tackles for a loss this season. Only fellow defensive end Jonathan Greenard has more on the team with 10 sacks.

Burke understands Anderson’s importance to the team, but also said he believes the defense could survive if he didn’t play.

“We’re going to give Will [Anderson Jr.] every chance to get back. But yeah, obviously when you lose a good player like Will, it’s difficult,” Burke said. “But, that room has been pretty good as a unit, and again, we’ve always preached – and I think ‘Mec’ [DeMeco Ryans] said it up here earlier in the week – rushing as a group. And when we do that, and we rush as a unit, there’s been a lot of effectiveness.”

Burke pointed at the interior defensive line play of Sheldon Rankins and Maliek Collins as an example of how the Texans are able to get pressure inside as well as outside the tackle box.

“I think both ‘Rank’ [Sheldon Rankins] and Maliek [Collins] have done a really good job of raising their game over the last few weeks,” Burke added. “So, we’ve been getting a little bit more inside push and inside action from those guys, which has helped, so hopefully that helps all of our edge rushers, no matter who is out there.”

The hope is obviously that Anderson and Cashman can play, but it sounds as though the Texans aren’t terribly worried if they were without two of their best defensive players.