HOUSTON – Will Anderson Jr. contemplated the question and answered nearly as fast as his trademark pass rushing moves.
The Pro Bowl defensive end is convinced the Texans are built to go all the way, to win a Super Bowl.
The Texans’ postseason ambitions face their first test in a week against Aaron Rodgers and the Pittsburgh Steelers on the road in an AFC wild-card playoff game.
“I do, I do,” Anderson said Sunday afternoon when asked if he feels the Texans are better equipped now to make a run. “When we broke it down, I told them: ‘We’re four games away from being world champions. Whatever you have to sacrifice, whatever you have to give up, don’t look too far ahead, but really be in the moment, really look what we’re striving for’
“Look what we’re going towards. I think everybody’s been doing a really good job with that. Man, we’re a couple of games away from being exactly where we want to be at.”
The Texans, as the highest-ranked wild-card playoff squad, face the AFC North champion on Monday night next week. The matchup between the fifth-seeded 12-5 Texans, riding an NFL-high nine-game winning streak, and the fourth-seeded AFC North champions, is set for a 7 p.m. Central kickoff.
The Texans will face the 10-7 Steelers after they won in dramatic fashion over the Baltimore Ravens in Pittsburgh, earning a hard-fought 26-24 victory and the AFC North division title.
Photo: Alex Slitz / Getty Images Sport / Getty Images
On defense, the Steelers are headlined by T.J. Watt, an outside linebacker and the younger brother of Texans legend J.J. Watt. Watt had an interception on Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson on Sunday night. The Steelers have three formidable pass rushers in Watt, Alex Highsmith and Nate Herbig.
The Steelers, though, rank 26th in total defense, allowing 356.8 yards per contest and struggled to contain deep passes from Jackson to wide receiver Zay Flowers. The Texans could look to strike deep with Pro Bowl wide receiver Nico Collins next week.
The Texans traditionally have hosted the Saturday afternoon opening playoff game of wild-card weekend. The Texans have never won a road postseason game, going 0-6 previously.
This year feels different, though. The Texans have built a considerable amount of momentum and a proven winning formula.
“Man, we’re hot that’s exactly what you want to be,” said Texans wide receiver Xavier Hutchinson, who led the team with five catches for 84 yards on nine targets with Pro Bowl wide receiver Nico Collins rested Sunday in advance of the playoffs. “Right at the end of the year, you want to play your best football. I still feel like we haven’t played our best football, but damn we’re looking good, though. Man, I feel like we’re a dangerous team.
“I think everybody in this building has that belief and faith that we’re a dangerous team. We’re not going to give up. We’re going to keep fighting. It never comes easy. It all comes down to belief and faith. Through the ups and downs, we’ve been there for each other. We’re going to continue to fight.”
The Texans are the fifth team since 1990 and the first team since the 2018 Texans squad to qualify for the playoffs following an 0-3 start. They are in the playoffs for the third year in a row under coach DeMeco Ryans’ leadership. The Texans are led by the NFL’s top-ranked defense for yards and rank second in points allowed. Standout defensive ends Danielle Hunter and Will Anderson Jr. have combined for 27 sacks, including 15 sacks for Hunter to lead the defense along with All-Pro corner Derek Stingley Jr.
“We just know what playoff football looks like,” Stingley said. “We treat every game like a playoff game.”
The Steelers are 26th in total offense, but get back star wide receiver D.K. Metcalf for the playoffs game from a two-game suspension stemming from his interaction with a fan. Now, he’s back and will undoubtedly be a focal point for Rodgers in a high-profile matchup tailor-made for Stingley.
“Nothing shifts for us when it comes to our mindset,” Ryans said after a 38-30 victory over the Indianapolis Colts in a regular-season finale at NRG Stadium. “Our mindset never changes. We don’t turn it up because we’re in the playoffs. We continue to grind out, put the work in, do what we have to do to practice really well throughout the week.
“No matter who our opponent is, we got to have a great week of practice and that shows up whenever that game is. How we work throughout the week, it’ll show up then. Our process and mindset doesn’t change.”
Photo: Tim Warner / Getty Images Sport / Getty Images
The Texans have never opened the playoffs on any day other than a Saturday. In the Ryans era, they have won wild-card round playoff games over the Los Angeles Chargers and Cleveland Browns in blowout fashion the past two years. They are winless in two AFC divisional round games over the past two seasons, falling to the Kansas City Chiefs and the Ravens.
As a franchise, the Texans are the only NFL team to never reach a championship game. They are 0-6 all-time in the divisional round and have set their ambitions on making a lengthy playoff run this year and are a confident team.
“We’re built tough,” quarterback C.J. Stroud said. “I think you look in here, you got ‘S.W.A.R.M.’ and ‘relentless.’ I think that’s what we try to embody every game. I think we finally bought into it. I think as an offense, swarming looks different than defense swarming or special teams swarm.
“I think we found that groove. I’m just excited. I’m really motivated to get going this next week. I’m going to enjoy this win and regular season and get back to work tonight and I’m excited to go into the playoffs and try to make some noise.”
The Texans kept believing in themselves, even at 0-3 and 3-5 midway through the season, before going on this historic run to reach the playoffs for the third year in a row. It’s a close-knit locker room and one that is outspoken in their collective religious faith.
“It’s a blessing, man,” Anderson said. “God’s favor has been upon this team. I think it’s just the unwavering faith that everybody has on this team, to know that we’re doing it for God. Man, we’re just trying to do something special for this city.
“You talk about the perseverance on this team, starting from where we started to now and everybody just coming in as a collective and building those bonds, getting better every week , trusting each other, going out on the field and having fun. Man, that’s all you can ask for.”
Aaron Wilson is a contributor to Sports Talk 790.
