Defensive end Will Anderson Jr. and the Houston Texans are stepping into the national spotlight in the 2024 NFL season, starting with a Sunday night meeting with the Chicago Bears.
“I think it’s just all for the fans, man,” Anderson said. “We just want all the fans to come out, man. We’re excited. First home game, and it’s a night game, too, so I know it’s going to be rocking. And we’re just going to bring that same expectation, same standard, same playing style, same mentality of swarm defense, swarm offense on Sunday, man. And it’s going to be a great thing, and we’re super excited about it.”
The appearance on NBC will be the first of four prime-time kickoffs for the Texans, plus a Christmas game against the Baltimore Ravens, in 2024.
Houston had one prime-time game in 2023, and that came after the NFL moved its regular-season finale to a Saturday night kickoff against the Indianapolis Colts with a playoff position on the line.
Across the previous three seasons, when the Texans totaled 11 victories, Houston had three prime-time games. Houston hasn’t had four or more prime-time kickoffs since 2016, when the Texans won their second straight AFC South title – the fourth of six won in a nine-season span.
But in 2023, Houston hired San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans as its head coach, used the second and third draft choices on C.J. Stroud and Anderson, respectively. Stroud won the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Award, and the former Alabama All-American won the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Award as the Texans won 10 regular-season games and one postseason contest.
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“We just have a bunch of players that know how to win, man,” Anderson said. “We have a bunch of players that know what it takes to win, how to win, and we just have that bend-but-don’t-break mentality, man. And I think it’s very special, the group of guys that we have here. We won’t be denied. We’re going to go out there and impose our will, man, and we’re going to go swarm. And I think it’s just the vets stepping up, leaders stepping up and the playmakers stepping up to make it happen.”
Houston opened the season with a 29-27 road win over the Colts last week. After missing about a month of work during training camp and the preseason because of an ankle injury, Anderson played 36 of the Texans’ 45 defensive snaps. He recorded two tackles, including a tackle for loss when he dropped running back Jonathan Taylor 2 yards in the backfield on the third snap of the game.
“Me personally, man, just knocking off the rust, man,” Anderson said. “Trying to get back into it, get my stamina up a little bit more. Having that month off, you know, kind of took a little bit of stuff out of me a little bit. But, man, just getting extension at the top of my rush again, making that be second nature to me. And that’s really about it. Everything else I know is going to come back to me. But just repetition, repetition at those things.”
Against Chicago, Anderson and the Houston defense will oppose the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft – Bears quarterback Caleb Williams.
Chicago won Williams’ NFL debut 24-17 over the Tennessee Titans last week, although the rookie quarterback’s stats weren’t much. Williams completed 14-of-29 passes for 93 yards with no touchdowns and no interceptions and ran five times for 15 yards.
“I think he’s going to be a great quarterback in his league, man,” Anderson said. “Can move around the pocket, can extend plays with his arm and his legs. It’s going to be another thing that we have to contain him as well up front and do a good job of rushing together and being one.”
The Texans and Bears square off at 7:20 p.m. CDT Sunday at NRG Stadium in Houston.
“We’re excited for the next challenge, man,” Anderson said. “But you know, the focus right now is just saying like: How can we get better? What mistakes did we make right here and how can we get it better, so we won’t make those same mistakes going into the next game?”
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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.
