PITTSBURGH – For one of the most prolific and chiseled pass rushers in the league, Texans veteran defensive end Danielle Hunter somehow flies under the radar.
Hunter was the Texans’ most notable Pro Bowl snub despite leading the top-ranked defense with 15 sacks. The oversight rectified a bit Saturday when he was named second-team All-Pro.
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Hunter finished third in the NFL in sacks and recorded 54 tackles, 15 tackles for losses, three forced fumbles, one fumble recovery. He had one game with a career-high tying 3 1/2 sacks, four tackles for losses, four quarterback hits and one forced fumble.
“I promise he gets a lot of attention from opposing offenses, so I’ll start there,” Texans defensive coordinator Matt Burke said. “He’s a quiet guy. Probably the quietest 15-sack season maybe in a while. So, I don’t really know. Again, I’m not sure that he has a lot of focus outside being the best he can be and being a good player. Again, I have zero social media presence or anything, so I’m not sure what his marketability is in that world.
‘But he’s a great player, a really good player for us. Likes to come to work and try to get better. Whatever this year is for him, he’s still trying to perfect his craft and improve. Had an excellent season for us, and I hope it continues moving forward.”
For Hunter, the task at hand involves chasing down a familiar opponent: Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
When Rodgers was playing for the Green Bay Packers, Hunter faced him twice a year. He played for the Minnesota Vikings for eight seasons, so he has a considerable amount of experience for the Texans. He’ll apply that advanced knowledge Monday night in an AFC wild-card round playoff game.
Hunter went 5-5-1 against Rodgers while playing for the Vikings. He has sacked him six times. He had a strip-sack against him in 2016.
The Texans lost to Rodgers last season when he was playing for the New York Jets. He passed for 211 yards and three touchdown passes.
Hunter was ultra-focused all week and plans to let his actions speak louder than his words. His advice for teammate Will Anderson Jr., a Pro Bowl defensive end, get to Rodgers fast and be aware of his ultra-quick release.
“Danielle just said, ‘Go rush, go have fun, don’t overthink it,’” Anderson said. “He told us he’s a great quarterback, he can get the ball out fast, but just rush him like how you’ve always been rushing.”
Hunter became the only player in franchise history and the third player in the NFL this season to record at least 3.5 sacks, four tackles for loss and one forced fumble in a single game. Hunter has now reached 14 or more sacks four times in his career, becoming the 13th player in NFL history to accomplish the feat. Hunter is not a self-promoter and he has a low-key personality. He simply does his job in outstanding fashion with a high standard.
Hunter and Anderson are arguably the top pass rushing tandem in the NFL with a combined 27 sacks.
“Danielle has meant everything to our defensive success,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said. “With him, we added a guy to our team as a free agent two years ago who already had success as a pass rusher when he was in Minnesota. He was always getting after the quarterback, double-digit sack guy. So, to add him with a young guy in Will, we added a guy who not only is productive, but he’s also a selfless guy who is willing to teach the other young guys how it’s done, how he’s had success in his career.
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“That’s the biggest thing that I’ve seen from him is his willingness to share the gift that he has and his little tricks of the trade and how he can beat guys on a consistent basis. Him sharing that information has helped a lot of our guys have some success.”
Rodgers has passed for 3,322 yards, 24 touchdowns and seven interceptions this season. He hasn’t been picked off since October. It’s his lowest interception total since his time with the Packers.
“He’s a great player,” Anderson said. “I have a ton of respect for him. Very smart, very instinctive, can make a lot of checks, but, man, he can still sling the ball down the field and make plays with his legs. It’s going to be a great challenge for us that we’re excited about.”
Even at age 42, Rodgers remains a formidable competitor.
“For our defensive line in particular, where he’s going to hold those center stances and keep us up there,” Burke said. “Obviously, trying to acquire whatever information he can from his double and triple cadences and hard counts and stuff. That’s a unique sort of style when you’re in your stance and he’s up there and keeping you up there for 20 seconds, then trying to hard count you and then get you to jump and all those things.
“So, I think the guys that have played him, Danielle has a long history, obviously in the division for a while. Trying to share that experience and what it’s going to be like. We have to hold our water and not fall for a lot of that stuff.”
Aaron Wilson is a Texans and NFL reporter for KPRC 2 and click2houston.com