One of the best defenses in the NFL: At the center of DeMeco Ryans’ charged-up unit is third-year edge defender Will Anderson Jr., who has already earned six PFF grades of 89.0 or higher through his first 11 outings.

Anderson has entered historically rare territory: Anderson is one of only four edge rushers in the last decade to post a pressure rate above 20% through 12 weeks on at least 200 pass-rush snaps. The other three: Micah Parsons in 2023, Jerry Hughes in 2018 and Von Miller in 2016.

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The Houston Texans have fielded one of the NFL’s best defenses this season, though they didn’t get the national attention they deserved until their prime-time win over the Buffalo Bills — a breakout performance that featured eight sacks and three takeaways.

At the center of DeMeco Ryans’ charged-up unit is third-year edge defender Will Anderson Jr., who has already earned six PFF grades of 89.0 or higher through his first 11 outings.

One of Nick Saban’s premier Alabama products, Anderson has taken a step forward each season since entering the league and now belongs firmly in the conversation with the NFL’s top-tier pass rushers.

We could spend all day digging into the statistical season Will Anderson Jr. is putting together. His 11 sacks may fall well short of Myles Garrett’s league-leading 19, but Anderson has actually generated 10 more total pressures than Garrett and owns a 21.2% pressure rate — the best mark of any defensive lineman this season.

He’s also entered historically rare territory. Anderson is one of only four edge rushers in the last decade to post a pressure rate above 20% through 12 weeks on at least 200 pass-rush snaps. The other three: Micah Parsons in 2023, Jerry Hughes in 2018 and Von Miller in 2016.

That is elite company for a 24-year-old.

However, Anderson’s impact goes far beyond individual accolades. His rise has fundamentally reshaped what DeMeco Ryans can do schematically, giving Houston the freedom to win with four and keep extra bodies in coverage.

In the six games since the Texans’ early bye, they have blitzed on just 20.6% of opponent dropbacks — the lowest rate in the NFL. For most coordinators, that type of restraint would border on malpractice. For Ryans, it’s the luxury that comes with having a dominant edge rusher like Anderson anchoring the front.

That advantage was on full display in Houston’s Week 12 dismantling of the Bills offense. Seven of the Texans’ eight sacks on Josh Allen came from standard four-man rushes, and they blitzed him on only 15% of his dropbacks — a massive shift just four days after Tampa Bay sent extra pressure on 58% of Allen’s attempts.

This wasn’t a case of Houston lucking into coverage sacks, either. The Texans pressured Allen in under 2.5 seconds on 14 different plays, all of them coming from standard four-man rushes. And what makes their approach even more interesting is how little they rely on manufacturing advantages for Anderson and the rest of the front by way of stunts, disguises or creative looks.

Houston’s stunt rate sits well below the league average, and the Texans haven’t dialed up a single simulated pressure all season. Every other defense in the NFL has used at least 10. Despite that, Houston continues to generate quick pressure with remarkable consistency — a testament to the talent on the defensive line rather than any schematic sleight of hand.

The Texans simply let Will Anderson and his veteran running mate Danielle Hunter pin their ears back and go to work. When a duo can win outright the way they do, there’s no need for bells or whistles. That dominance shows up in Houston’s 44.1% team pressure rate this season, a mark topped only by a Minnesota Vikings team that blitzes nearly three times as often.

With the pass rush taking care of business on its own, DeMeco Ryans can commit more attention and numbers to coverage. The result: Houston’s secondary has allowed a league-low 72.2 passer rating and has earned a 70.3 PFF grade that ranks sixth among the league’s defenses.

The Texans feature one of the league’s youngest and most disciplined secondaries — a group that has yet to commit a single pass interference penalty this season.

What makes their recent surge even more impressive is that it has come without their highest-graded defensive back, Jalen Pitre. The slot defender has missed the last three games while in the concussion protocol, yet Houston’s pass coverage hasn’t skipped a beat.

DeMeco Ryans has even begun leaning into more man coverage looks during Pitre’s absence. Before the injury, the Texans played man on just 13% of snaps, the third-lowest rate in the NFL. Over the past three weeks, that number has more than doubled to 29%, a rate that would place them inside the league’s top 10.

Pitre appears close to returning as early as this weekend, but his replacement, Myles Bryant, has held up well — posting a 65.2 PFF grade and allowing only 45 yards in coverage across those three games.

While Pitre appears on track to return as early as this weekend, his replacement, Myles Bryant, has more than held his own. Bryant has posted a solid 65.2 PFF grade during the three-game stretch and has allowed just 45 yards in coverage.

Further back, free safety Calen Bullock has rebounded in a big way from a tough start to his sophomore season, including a 29.9 overall grade against Tampa Bay in Week 2. Since that outing, Bullock has surrendered only four receptions and recorded four interceptions, producing an astonishing 3.7 passer rating allowed over that span.

When the Texans shift into man coverage — typically their Cover-1 looks — Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter are free to tee off on opposing tackles. Calen Bullock plays as the deep free safety, Azeez Al-Shaair drops into the “hole” zone, and Derek Stingley Jr. and Kamari Lassiter take on true island assignments on the outside.

It’s a defense loaded with young, hungry players chasing their first taste of real NFL success, and their collective energy mirrors the edge and intensity of head coach DeMeco Ryans. Just a decade removed from his own playing career, Ryans has already cemented himself as one of the league’s premier defensive minds.

Houston’s scheme may not be the most complex unit quarterbacks will face, but the Texans play with a relentless spark — a group that clearly wants to win for its coach. And no player embodies Ryans’ identity more than Will Anderson.

Over the next few weeks, Houston will get the chance to apply real pressure in the AFC South race, threaten a Colts team searching for stability and potentially — for the first time in the Patrick Mahomes era — knock the Chiefs out of contention before January.

Add in a Christmas trip to Southern California to face Justin Herbert, and this Texans defense is must-see TV down the stretch.