HOUSTON – – This time, the feelings differed for the Houston Texans defense. One week prior, they watched their division rivals, the Jacksonville Jaguars, celebrate a 24-21 victory on their home field and put a damper on the Texans’ playoff hopes. The Jags orchestrated 445 yards on offense and used several explosive plays to keep the defense second-guessing in coverage.
With the Denver Broncos heading into town, the Texans’ defense knew they would try to repeat what Jacksonville had done one week prior. Still, that plan failed as Houston held Denver to 282 total yards on offense and stopped their five-game winning streak with a tough 22-17 win to improve to 7-5 on the season, which equals the combined amount of wins the team had the last two seasons.
Houston recorded 3.0 sacks and three interceptions, marking the first time the team has accomplished this since Dec. 2019 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. They also didn’t allow the Broncos to convert on third downs (0-for-11), marking the third time in franchise history the Texans’ defense has held a team to zero third-down conversions.
“This is our brand of football,” said Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans. “Our guys are a resilient group, a resilient group of men who show up every single week. They put the work in every week, and they show up on Sundays, and they execute, and they play for each other. That’s all I ask for, and our guys continue to get better.”
“Everybody was locked in to their jobs,” said Texans edge rusher Will Anderson Jr. about stopping the Denver Broncos on the final drive in the red zone to win the game. Anderson finished the game with career-highs in QB pressures (8) and sacks (2). #Texans #Sarge @TheTexansWire pic.twitter.com/fYMOdVE58U
— #SARGE (@BigSargeSportz) December 4, 2023
Getting better is what rookie edge rusher Will Anderson Jr. has been doing all season. The third overall selection in this year’s NFL draft has put together a solid rookie campaign that will have his name in the running when it is time to vote for Rookie Defensive Player of the Year. He made his presence felt early and often Sunday by making life difficult in the pocket for Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson.
The former two-time SEC Defensive Player of the Year finished the game with career-highs in quarterback pressures (8) and sacks (2). Anderson also caused havoc on special teams with his pressure on the punter and used his athletic ability to tip a pass that landed in the hands of teammate Derek Stingley Jr.
“It has been a relentless grind the whole season,” Anderson said during his postgame press conference. “It has been up and down, and finding that momentum at getting better at rushing, I think that has been the most exciting thing.”
One reason Anderson and the rest of the defensive linemen were able to harass Wilson for the entire game was due to the defensive backfield of Derek Stingley Jr., Steven Nelson, Jalen Pitre and Jimmie Ward all playing together for the first time this season. They limited the former Super Bowl-winning quarterback to 186 yards passing, in which 45 of those yards came on one completion to wide receiver Courtland Sutton.
Houston’s defensive backs were also able to do something that opposing defenses had not done to Wilson in five games: force interceptions. He had three on the day, two by Stingley, who has been playing some of his best football since he returned from a hamstring injury that kept him out of action for six games. Since his return, Stingley has had four interceptions in three consecutive games, a Texans franchise record.
“He is a lone warrior and a beast,” said Texans safety Jimmie Ward about CB Derek Stingley Jr. #Texans #Sarge @TheTexansWire pic.twitter.com/F264EBEv2Y
— #SARGE (@BigSargeSportz) December 4, 2023
“It is a good feeling to do what I have been doing, but that is only because we are communicating on the backend,” Stingley told reporters.
Stingley’s second interception even impressed Wilson, who thought he could hit an open wide receiver running in the middle of the field.
“I took a shot down the field to ‘Court’ [Sutton], thought we had him, honestly, and he made a heck of a play,” said Wilson to the media. “I don’t know how he made that play, to be honest with you.”
The victory over the Broncos helps the Texans in the standings as they are currently in the hunt for an AFC Wild Card playoff spot with five games remaining in the regular season.
