Here's everything Houston Texans All-Pro defensive end Will Anderson Jr. said Wednesday ahead of Week 1's matchup against the Buffalo Bills in Week 1, including his thoughts on James Cook, Josh Allen and the expectations for Week 1.
Question: On the defense's expectations to be at the top of the NFL
Will Anderson Jr.: "First thing is ignoring the noise, keeping everything internally. I think that's a goal of ours, of course, but it's about how we show up every day if we want to do something like that. ‘Are we going through our process? Are we having fun, everybody executing?’ When you execute, you win and you have fun. For us, that's definitely a goal, but I think for us it's just keeping the main thing the main thing and that's winning games
and being the best defense. To do that, you have to go out and execute every game."
Q: On knowing the implications of the Week 1 game versus the Buffalo Bills
Anderson: "This is an AFC Championship matchup. Two really good teams. We have a ton of respect for them. Josh Allen leading the way, really great offensive line. James Cook, one of the best running backs in the league. It's going to be a great matchup for us, but the type of atmosphere that I'm feeling like it's going to be on Sunday is going to be that AFC Championship-type feel. Like I said, two really great teams battling it out. There's been battling these last two years since I've been here. It's going to be a good matchup for us."
Q: On what it takes to play against Bills QB Josh Allen
Anderson: "Relentless effort. Everybody's swarming. We need all 11 hats to the ball. Plaster in the back end, swarming up front. The rush has to be on point. What I love about this defense is everybody is unselfish and I say it all the time. Coach [DeMeco Ryans] was showing clips today of just how it looks when everybody's on the job, when the back end is plastering, the defensive line is going to hunt, we're all being relentless. To beat a team like this, to get to Josh Allen, it just takes relentless. You may not get him the first one, but pop back up and go get him again. For us, it's just four equals one, no independent contractors, everybody's doing their job up front and just giving the guys in the back end an opportunity."
Q: On Bills RB James Cook III
Anderson: "Much hasn't changed, he's still an explosive running back, man. He had some big games against us. A lot of great runs against us at Alabama. He was on our scouting report all the time. He's a really tough running back and he's so patient. He'll wait, he'll wait, he'll wait and then he'll just explode to the outside and take off. That's what makes him so great. He's not just an, 'Oh, I'm going to go right now.' He just tries to see and feel everything out. For us, it's going to be holding gaps, everybody staying where they need to be, getting extension, playing with great eyes, great feet and being in a position to go make the play."
Q: On playing with confidence on defense
Anderson: "Yeah, it's very important. I think you look at it in all phases of every position that we have. Everybody shows up to work with the right mentality. I think we don't gain that confidence just by our natural athletic ability. I think it's the preparation that we put in week in and week out and how we watch a film. Today, for instance, [Head] Coach had 'JP' [Jalen Pitre] come up and be the coach. He killed it. We received that, because if 'JP' can get up here and tell us what his job is and what everybody else is doing, that feeds the room. If he can do it, why isn't everybody else doing that? I should be able to tell you what the defensive tackle next to me is doing. He should be able to tell you what I'm doing. That's how you get a great defense. When you know what everybody else is doing on the field and you can receive that, you go out there and play fast and have fun doing it."
Q: On if it helps, knowing the defensive backs behind the defensive line are doing their job
Anderson: "All the time. We go into the game and it's a certain call or whatever; we're like, ‘We have 'Sting' [Derek Stingley Jr.], Kamari [Lassiter] back there. We have 'JP' back there. We have Reed [Blankenship] back there. We got Calen [Bullock] going sideline to sideline back there.’ For us, we just have to get home. Even if we just get a pressure or something to affect it. If they throw that ball up in the air, one of our guys coming down with it because they all have elite ball skills. I think that's what makes them so special."
Q: On learning more about his teammates in the offseason and which teammate he learned the most about
Anderson: "I would say really listening to Dalton Schultz. Schultz has been a guy that him and I have actually have gotten a little closer and I've learned a lot about him. To hear how he goes through his process and just his mentality of how he approaches practice, how he approaches his real life, just taking it one day at a time. Having that balance of being able to be with his family and then be up here. I think that's something as a young player that you look at it like, 'How do I juggle all those things?' He's been great with helping with things like that. He's one player that I really looked up to during that time, really listened to him, how he balances his football life and his family life."
Q: On the success against the Buffalo Bills in previous years and how that affects the way they approach their game Week 1
Anderson: "We always say last year is last year. ‘What are we going to do this year?’ They're going to come out in something that we've never seen before. They're going to have a play drawn up that we've never seen before, but ‘How are we attacking our game plan? How are we going out there and executing it?’ For us, we've seen the success. This is a really great team. There's no mistake about that. So for us, we have to go out there and be on 10. We have to go play our brand of football. Last year, like I said, is last year. It's like, 'What are we going to do this year? Are we going to swarm this year? Are we going to get to the ball this year? Are we going to take the ball?' I think that's one of the biggest things. How many times can we take the ball? How many times can we attack the ball? And so I think that's the growth from last year to this year. Let's take the ball from these guys."
Q: On advice for QB C.J. Stroud and his ongoing extension talks
Anderson: "At the end of the day, it's all in God's hand and C.J. knows that. We've talked, but I think for both of us right now, we're head on going into the Bills game. I think that's the biggest focus right now is we want to win these ball games. Whatever happens after that, happens after that. But man, C.J. is locked in. He's been coming to work every single day. He's been bringing the guys along with him. The offense is looking really great. I can't wait to go watch him spin on Sunday."
Q: On his excitement to be a Houston Texan during the draft process
Anderson: "The energy that I felt in the building from everybody. I didn't know much about DeMeco until the draft process came and then watching the Super Bowl and everything like that and all those good things. I saw the energy that he had. I found out he went to Alabama. I kept following him even more. Then I saw that he was a defensive coach. He was a defensive coordinator at the [San Francisco] 49ers. When I got here, I could just feel the energy when I first met him. He was excited. I could tell we shared the same mentality. Whatever it takes mentality. It bled through the whole organization. I met with Coach Rod [Wright]. Coach Rod was the assistant defensive line coach and he had energy from the get-go. That's just when he was the assistant defensive line coach. For me, that's what I wanted to surround myself with when I came into the league. I wanted to be somewhere where I actually felt like I was wanted. That was always my biggest prayers like, 'God, I want to be somewhere where they actually want me.' I left that feeling like, 'Yeah, I feel like this place is the one.' I told my agent, I was like, 'I don't care what you have to do. Tell them, come get me,' and they made it happen. I couldn't be more happy and more blessed to be here."
Q: On playing in front of the home crowd in Week 1
Anderson: "I'm super excited about that. First one, I hope the crowd is rocking, man. Come out and support. It's going to be a big one, so let's go."
Q: On the national attention the defense has been getting
Anderson: "Rat poison... rat poison. That's all it's been [laughs]. No, but it's been fun. It's been really fun, because outside of football, I feel like we've grown together more as a team, especially with the defensive guys, just as far as hanging out more, getting to do fun stuff like that. Sometimes in the league, guys just go their separate ways. They just go home. I think we've made a point this offseason and during the season, let's hang out. Let's get to know each other outside of the stadium. Not just talk about ball. It's been awesome to learn about the young guys, to learn about some of the older vets in the room and getting together. It's been cool, it's been fun. It's just getting to have fun with your guys other than just on the field."
This article originally appeared on Texans Wire: Everything Texans DE Will Anderson Jr. said ahead of Houston’s season opener vs. Bills
