HOUSTON – When Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter get into a three-point stance at the line of scrimmage, there’s typically a weakness the Texans’ formidable bookend pass rushers can exploit.
Anderson plays the game with a rare combination of size, speed and relentlessness, upgrading his skills with a deeper repertoire of moves and strategy in his second NFL season after being named NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year last season.
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Hunter, one of the top athletes in the league regardless of position, is a sculpted former track and football star at Morton Ranch High School who has more than lived up to the Texans’ investment of a two-year, $51 million deal.
And the Texans’ strength of their defense, their talented pair of defensive ends, will face a strong test Saturday in a pivotal matchup that could define this AFC wild-card round playoff game against the Los Angeles Chargers and standout quarterback Justin Herbert.
The edge to the game can likely be found on the edge.
The Chargers have one of the top offensive tackle tandems in the NFL in Pro Bowl left tackle Rashawn Slater, a Clements graduate and former first-round draft pick, and right tackle Joe Alt, a first-round pick from Notre Dame.
“With our defense line versus our offensive line, that will be the key matchup of the game,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said. “They have done a really good job of protecting Justin all year and for us, we have gotten after the passer pretty good all year. They are good, we are good so that is what playoff football is about. Who is going to win that matchup? We are going to have a lot of opportunities versus their guys. Justin also does a good job of getting the ball out and making good decisions. We are up for the challenge.”
#Texans team captain Will Anderson Jr., had a special message today for his teammates as they huddled up today before playoff game against #Chargers @KPRC2 pic.twitter.com/sSeSFpVZ9p
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) January 9, 2025
Herbert has only been sacked three times in the past three games and the extra time in the pocket has benefited him greatly. At 6-foot-6, 236 pounds, Herbert is strong-armed and mobile and accurate. He completed 65.9 percent of his throws in the regular season for 3,870 yards, 23 touchdowns and a league-low three interceptions for a 101.7 passer rating.
The Texans set a franchise record with 49 sacks, including 12 sacks for Hunter in his first season with the Texans and 11 sacks for Anderson. The Texans rank fifth in defensive EPA per play, second in success rate and Anderson has eight 1/2 of his sacks on third down. Hunter ranks second in the NFL in quarterback pressures, fifth in the NFL in sacks and has dominant moves, including his patented Euro Step spin move that confounds blockers.
“I just want to win,” Anderson said. “We’ve got four games to lock in. We’ve got four games for everybody to sacrifice. We’re willing to sacrifice, commit, be detailed and mentally sound. I think there’s been great preparation we’ve had all week.
“It’s the NFL. You’re going to go against good guys every week, and I’m excited for the challenge. I know Danielle is excited for the challenge. And it’s not even about them. It’s about us. How we go out there and execute our best game plan. It really starts in the run game. We can talk pass rush all day, but we’ve got to do a good job of stopping the run and making sure we’re knocking these guys back and being physical with them.”
Anderson is in his second NFL season. Hunter, 30, has been in the league for nearly a decade. They’ve balanced each other out in many ways from an emotional standpoint. Anderson is all enthusiasm and smiles. Hunter tends to be quiet and is intense.
“Individually, it’s a great balance,” Anderson said. “I’m more like, ‘Calm down.’ And he’s more of like a relaxed and reserved. When I look at him, he might have that demeanor of just ‘calm down, it’s going to come.’ That’s one thing I can really take from him. I think he’s underrated in the league, man. It’s just that he’s quiet, laid-back and he doesn’t do it for the approval of anybody else. He just goes out there because he likes playing the game of football.”
Hunter has been disruptive at the line all year. He has 46 tackles, 15 for losses and 23 quarterback hits. For his career, he has 99 1/2 career sacks, 125 tackles for losses and 157 quarterback hits
And Anderson has provided a lot of juice for Hunter as a newly-formed tandem since last offseason.
“He just gets me going,” Hunter said. “Sometimes, when I need a spark or something, he’ll be there and give it a spark. That kind of reminds me of younger days. I think it’s very important because I feel like they have to choose which guy they got to go to. I understand when I came to the team that it’s just about focusing and getting everybody around me better. Just keep improving because of all the wisdom that I know I’m trying to carry over to Will and everybody else. We’ve had a great week of practice. The guys are mentally focused.
Chasing around Herbert isn’t an easy task. Although he’s a bigger quarterback, he can run. He has rushed for a career-high 306 yards this season. For his career, he has 1,217 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns while passing for 21,093 career yards, 137 touchdowns and just 45 career interceptions.
“Justin [Herbert] is an athletic quarterback,” Ryans said. “He does a good job of identifying defenses, getting his offense in the correct play. He has smart decisions with the football. He does a really good job of just protecting the football, which is very impressive, only three interceptions on the year. So, he is known to be very difficult to take the ball away from him.
“It will be a collective effort. We have to have a really good rush upfront. We have to be where our coverage is, we have to be disciplined in our coverages. Also, knowing he is athletic enough to escape the pocket and get out. He can make plays on you there, so a really good quarterback and impressed with what he has done throughout his career.”
Both of the Chargers’ tackles are big, strong and skilled.
“Yeah, two really good players,” Texans defensive coordinator Matt Burke said. “Obviously, Slater’s done it for a little bit in the league and the rookie’s done a really good job this year. I think one of the things I think you see is that they -- everyone chips our ends -- but they don’t have to as much. They let those guys go play because they’ve done such a good job protection, which then, obviously, puts more guys in the route and puts more stress on your coverage.
“So, I think they feel good about some of the ability that those guys have to just win one-on-one blocks and takes some of the having to protect your O-line. We feel, obviously, really good about our defensive ends and those matchups. I think that’s going to be a really cool battle this weekend.”
Hunter and Anderson vs. Slater and Alt. It’s worth the price of admission.
“We play this game because we’re competitors,” he said. “It’s an exciting matchup that we look forward to.”
Aaron Wilson is a Texans and NFL reporter for KPRC 2 and click2houston.com
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