Houston, Texas– When asked how to describe Houston’s pass rush to someone who had never watched the Texans play, coach DeMico Ryans took a few seconds before coming up with an answer.
“It’s like four Tasmanian devils destroying everything in front of them. That’s the way I look at our guys,” Ryans said. “They’re fast. They’re physical. The way they get off the ball, the way they put the ball in the pocket, they’re terrifying.”
After a stellar performance in a win over the Steelers in the wild-card round, the Texans are looking for that fearsome foursome to lead them again when they visit the Patriots on Sunday, when a win would put them in the AFC Championship Game for the first time in franchise history.
The starting defensive line consists of first-team AP All-Pro defensive end Will Anderson Jr. and second-team teammate Danielle Hunter, along with tackles Sheldon Rankins and Tommy Togiai.
The Texans led the NFL in yards allowed in the regular season and were second to the Seahawks in points. They continued that success into their first playoff game, allowing just 175 rushing yards in a 30-6 win over Pittsburgh.
Houston sacked Aaron Rodgers four times and hit him 12 more on Monday night while forcing two fumbles. They scored two defensive touchdowns against the Steelers, one coming on an Anderson sack of Rodgers that Rankins scooped up and returned 33 yards for the score. It was the fourth touchdown of the season for Houston’s defensive line, and is another example of how good this group is.
Work together
Anderson and Hunter are the undisputed stars of the group after combining for 27 sacks in the regular season. But defensive line coach Rod Wright said what the Texans are doing only works if everyone does their job.
“We say four equals one,” Wright said. “Everything we do, we do together. This is a tribute to our guys. We know we’re going to sack a quarterback if we rush as one. But if one guy wins, but the other guy doesn’t finish it, the quarterback is going to come out, especially a quarterback like we’re playing on Sunday.”
Hunter said playing with that mentality makes the game a lot of fun.
“Guys go out there and the most important thing is to feel free,” he said. “You don’t have to worry about someone else’s job, just do your part. When you’re there, there’s no better feeling than you doing your part and everyone else doing their part. It just flows.”
Houston’s quick passes rushed and troubled the 42-year-old Rodgers throughout Monday’s win. They know they’ll face a different challenge against the Patriots with the more mobile 23-year-old Drake May, who has 450 yards rushing this season.
But regardless of who they face, Wright’s message this week is that you don’t win at this level by changing things, you don’t win by continuing to do what got you here.
“So, we really just focus on the things we already do and stay locked into them,” he said. “Not to be fancy, to be ourselves, but the discipline, technique and execution has to be there.”
Four men rush
Houston’s four have had so much success rushing this season that the Texans rarely blitz. Of his 47 sacks in the regular season, only two came from someone other than a defensive lineman. By contrast, the Broncos, who led the NFL with 68 sacks in the regular season, got 43 sacks from non-defensive linemen.
“Why are we able to field four players and play the way we do? Not because I’m a great coach,” Ryans said with a laugh. “That’s because we have really great players up front. This game is always going to be about the players and those guys. They set the table for us, for our whole team.”
While there are plenty of good pass rushers around the league, the Texans are unique in that they have not just one elite pass rusher, but two. Anderson and Hunter were one of only two teammates to have at least 10 sacks in the regular season.
Patriots coach Mike Vrabel spoke highly of the duo.
“I don’t think it’s one step,” he said. “It’s talent, length, and effort. If they’re blocked, they don’t stay blocked for long. They can run different plays on the edge. They play hard against the run. It’s not just if you run the ball they’re going to start the play. So, two really good moves.”
Bookends that can cause headaches for offensive coordinators.
“I can imagine it’s difficult because sometimes you can hit one player and let the tackle stay one-on-one with the other end. That’s not really the case here,” Wright said. “I don’t think anyone likes going one-on-one with a guy like Will or a guy like Daniel, you kind of have to pick your poison. I think it’s a rivalry problem for anyone.”
Always learning
Anderson has spoken often about how Hunter has helped his development since joining the team last season after spending his first nine years in Minnesota. Hunter doesn’t talk much, but Anderson, who is in his third year, said seeing how the 31-year-old acts every day has taught him a lot.
“This guy is restless, 100 careers, Pro Bowl, All-Pro… and he still does the little things,” Anderson said. “And I think that’s what makes it really great.”
While Hunter has mostly played the role of mentor in his relationship with 24-year-old Anderson, he admits he has learned a thing or two from his young colleague.
“The biggest thing I’ve learned from Will is the way he never gives up. That’s something we can all learn from,” Hunter said. “He just keeps his motor going, it keeps going forever, and I’ve been in the league for 11 years, and that motivates me sometimes, like the fourth quarter of a game, woe I gotta keep going too.”
AP Sports Writer Kyle Hightower contributed to this story.
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