Houston Texans have #1 pass rush duo

Will Anderson Jr and Danielle Hunter gonna hunt

Remember when the Houston Texans turned in the draft card for J.J. Watt and we all got excited about him and Mario Williams combining to terrorize opponents? Didn’t happen.

Remember Jadeveon Clowney heading to H-Town to join Watt as the bookend of what should have been an historically potent pass rush? Also never materialized.

But last year we got to see what we’ve been waiting for all these years:

Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter.

Last season Anderson Jr played in 14 games, had 37 combined tackles, 27 solo stops, 16 tackles for loss, 19 QB hits, 11 sacks and 1 forced fumble.

Meanwhile, Hunter played in 17 games, had 46 combined tackles, 31 solo stops, 17 tackles for loss, 23 QB hits, 12 sacks, 3 passes knocked down and 1 forced fumble.

Both are career-high seasons for the pass rushers. And, good enough to land them both on the NFL’s top ten edge rushers list.

Nick Schwager

The Texans are the only team to have 2 players on this list.

With a shared season under their collective belt, this duo is already giving the other AFC South defensive coordinators nightmares. Another year of chemistry, another year of camaraderie, another year of instinctively knowing where the other will be when the play breaks down.

And, don’t forget, the edge rushers best friend (the secondary) is rock solid on the Texans D. With Derek Stingley Jr., Kamari Lassiter, Calen Bullock and C.J. Gardener-Johson clogging up the route trees, opposing quarterbacks will have to hold the ball longer. Bigger pre-pass windows mean more QB hits, sacks, tackles for loss, interceptions and strip sacks.

While so many have been focused on the Houston Texans offensive line, Anderson and Hunter have been quietly cementing a defensive front that can take this team all the way.

Gentlemen, start your engines!