9.5 Sacks and One Line: "I Owe You Everything"
Will Anderson Jr. had two of Houston's eight sacks; the line that explains him came in April, not on Sunday.
Two of the eight sacks with which Houston beat the Chargers 44-22 came from Will Anderson Jr. With those 9.5 sacks, the defensive end leads the NFL, Sports Spectrum reported. The Texans are 3-5.
Eight sacks and a franchise record
Houston started with four straight losses. After Sunday, it has won three of its last four and sits at 3-5, second in the AFC South. The defense is driving the turnaround: eight sacks against Los Angeles tied the franchise record and put the team at 29 on the season, the highest total in the league.
Anderson is 25. He was a first-team All-Pro last season, when he reached 12 sacks, a career high. He has 9.5 now and is on pace to pass it. He was picked third in the 2023 draft after playing at Alabama.
«Credit is decided before the applause.»
Last season the team also started badly and ended up in the playoffs. The resemblance is plain to see.
The April contract and the line that came with it
In April, Houston signed him to a three-year, $150 million extension. With that deal he became the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history. At the press conference, wearing a cross necklace, he said: "Thank you, Jesus. Jesus, I owe You everything I am" (Sígueme translation).
That line didn't come from Sunday. It came from a table full of microphones in April, the day the money stopped being a promise. Anderson also thanked his family, his agent and his coaching staff, and spoke directly to the young people listening.
It's worth noting the order: credit is decided before the applause. First the name of Jesus; then the names of those who walked with him; finally, the message for those coming up behind. A $150 million contract didn't change that order.
A deacon called "Deac"
The nickname comes from "deacon." Anderson leads in every Texans chapel, and in August he revealed in a Sports Illustrated feature that he had wanted to proclaim the Word since he was a child. He admitted that sometimes it makes him nervous and that he doesn't feel fully worthy of doing it.
In February he traveled with the ministry God Behind Bars to visit people in prison. He described it as a life-changing experience and said the faith of the inmates impressed him. He also said that when a person draws near to God, they begin to see clearly what they don't need.
Next Sunday he visits the Browns in Cleveland at 1:00 p.m. ET, with the defense that has the most sacks in the league.
Here is a practice for this week. The next time someone congratulates you, say out loud where what you did came from: who taught you and who held you up. And say it first before God. "So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God" (1 Corinthians 10:31, ESV).
Who do you credit for what you're being applauded for today?
