Will Anderson, Jr. was a monster in Sunday's win at New England.
The Texans dominated the Patriots, 41-21, in Foxborough, as Anderson sacked quarterback Drake Maye three times, and also tipped a pass that wound up getting intercepted by safety Eric Murray.
It was a tremendous performance by the reigning Defensive Rookie of the Year, as Anderson also finished with four tackles for loss, and was tied for the team lead with eight total tackles.
"Proud of Will," Texans Head Coach DeMeco Ryans said. "Massive game for him to be able to get off the quarterback the way he did. Three sacks, also forced an interception there by E. Murray. Just really, really productive day by him and he stayed out there."
Anderson entered the game tied for 7th in the NFL with 23 quarterback pressures. But he had just 2.5 sacks on the season. Two of Anderson's sacks today came on third down, and he explained his train of thought entering Sunday.
"Just keep being consistent, keep chopping wood," Anderson said. "It's just a blessing to be able to go out there and do that. But I have to give big credit to my D-line. These guys are tremendous at what they do."
Anderson's "chopping wood" mantra is familiar to his teammate and 2023 fellow rookie C.J. Stroud. The Texans quarterback was happy for his good friend.
"It was super cool," Stroud said. "I was super happy for him. He's a dog so I'm definitely just proud of him. I know he's been hunting. He always talks about chopping wood, carrying water, so it's good for that to pay off finally."
Ryans said Anderson's energy level never wavered the entire day.
"Loved his energy," Ryans said. "From start to finish. I felt his mindset in pre-game warmups so I knew it was going to be a really good day for him. He is getting better every week and this is his best game by far."
Anderson and the Texans will seek their sixth win of the season next Sunday when they face the Packers in Green Bay.
