FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – After the Texans wrapped up practice this week, star defensive end and team captain Will Anderson Jr had something important to say.
His strong reminder to his teammates referenced a painful past, a history of falling short for a proud franchise.
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The Texans are 0-6 all-time in the AFC divisional round, making them the lone football team in the conference to never advance to the championship game that’s one step away from the Super Bowl.
Now, they’re back at this rung on the playoffs ladder for a Sunday playoff game against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium.
Anderson has twice experienced the disappointment, frustration and regret of a crushing defeat at this stage of the postseason.
He was a rookie when the top-seeded Baltimore Ravens and Lamar Jackson ran away with the game with four total touchdowns in the second half after playing to a tie at halftime.
A year ago at frigid Arrowhead Stadium, the Texans hung in there for a while with the Kansas City Chiefs until some special teams miscues, controversial calls and allowing eight sacks spelled yet another loss.
“After practice, I was like, ‘Being in the second round is not good enough for this organization no more,’” Anderson said. “We had a saying: ‘Round 2 is not good enough.’ Now, it’s about getting over that hump. Everybody knows the focus and the mission that we’re trying to accomplish. We’ve had a great week of practice and I can’t wait to get to Sunday. This is really going to take everybody dialed in and locked in and we get the outcome that we want.”
And that deep sentiment applies to not only the Texans players, coaching staff and staff.
Their fans hurt along with the team they support passionately when things go awry.
“I was just telling them, ‘You know how crazy the city gonna go?’” Anderson said. “It’s just a testament to them. They come out and show us so much love, so much support. And we just want to do something that’s never been done for this city, man, to get Houston on fire. They’ve been unbelievable for us all season long and we want to do something special for them.”
Anderson and the Texans are standing where six other teams have before.
The 2011 and 2012 Texans coached by Gary Kubiak that included Hall of Fame wide receiver Andre Johnson and three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year J.J. Watt hit the same wall in the postseason.
And their current coach, two-time Pro Bowl linebacker DeMeco Ryans in 2011 to the Ravens.
The Texans are 7-8 all-time in the playoffs, winning a wild-card game each of the past three seasons under Ryans’ leadership.
The Patriots, coached by Mike Vrabel and quarterbacked by Drake Maye, are in the Texans’ way. It was the Patriots, then coached by Bill Belichick and quarterbacked by Tom Brady, who defeated the Texans in the divisional round in 2013 and 2017.
“I’m really excited to be leading this team in this moment, to have us in this position for a third year,” Ryans said. “It’s a blessing, it’s an honor. I don’t take it lightly to be one of the final four teams left in the AFC. It’s where you want to be, it’s the position you want to be in if you’re a competitor and I’m a true competitor. I love competing, love where we are, love the mindset of our team and love the opportunity we have before us.
“The Patriots are a really good team. Coach Vrabel came in and really flipped the culture of that team. His impact is shown on how these guys play. They’re physical, they’re a smart team, mimics how he played the game. It’ll be a really, really tough opponent, but we’re excited for the matchup and we’re just thankful for this opportunity.”
The Texans’ goal, obviously, is to go beyond the AFC divisional round and AFC championship game.
They’re chasing a Super Bowl.
“The mission is the mission,” defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins said. “The mission is the Super Bowl. This is just a stepping stone to get there. Play our brand of football. It’s do or die.”
The Texans have a close-knit locker room.
The camaraderie and vibes are strong.
They truly root for each other.
When safety Calen Bullock returned an Aaron Rodgers interception 50 yards for a touchdown, there was no one more excited than teammate Jalen Pitre.
“I feel like we’re connected, very connected,” Anderson said. “Guys care about each other. We’re playing for each other. Not just players, we’re playing for staff, fans. I feel like the connection in this building is very, very good.”
For Texans rookie running back Woody Marks, this represents his first taste of the playoffs. It’s been a savory one so far as he rushed for a season-high 112 yards and one touchdown against the Steelers.
“That means a lot,” Marks said. “Just do it for the community, we play this game for the community here. For the whole world, to be honest, but mainly our community. Just to get them riled up, happy.”
Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud, a former NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, is 3-2 all-time in the playoffs as one of the most successful passers in the postseason at age 24.
He has completed 97 of 147 passes for 1,226 yards, five touchdowns and three interceptions. Stroud had an uncharacteristic five fumbles, losing two, with one interception against the Steelers as there were obvious timing issues on shotgun snaps between himself and center Jake Andrews. He still passed for 250 yards, excelling on third downs, against the Steelers.
“I think it’s exciting,” Stroud said. “I think it’s a great opportunity for us to go out there our next game and put our best foot ahead of us and try to get a W in a harsh environment against a really good football team So, it’s just something on our mind that we need to get done. That’s all our focus is right now.”
Aaron Wilson is a Texans and NFL reporter for KPRC 2 and click2houston.com