Will Anderson praises Justin Herbert before Texans-Chargers game
Anderson said Houston respects the Chargers quarterback ahead of Sunday’s game, as Los Angeles seeks its first win and Houston returns from a bye.
Houston Texans defensive end Will Anderson said Wednesday, Nov. 4, that he has “a ton of respect” for Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert, ahead of Houston’s Week 9 game at SoFi Stadium on Sunday, Nov. 8. Anderson praised Herbert’s arm strength, mobility and ability to make plays with his legs as the Texans prepared to return from their bye week.
Anderson’s praise meets a winless Chargers season
“He’s still a really great quarterback in this league,” Anderson said. He described Herbert as a player who can throw deep and make plays on the move, adding that Houston had “a ton of respect” for him. Anderson also said Herbert was “playing out of his mind” and praised the Chargers’ offensive line and running backs. Those remarks were his assessment of the opponent Houston expected to face.
Los Angeles had yet to win a game this season, and the reports described the Chargers as the NFL’s only winless team. Texans Wire reported that Herbert had thrown no touchdown passes in his previous two games and led the league with 10 interceptions. NFL.com reported five touchdown passes for Herbert overall. It also placed the Chargers’ offense 28th in yards per game and 26th in passing yards per game, and the team 31st in interception rate.
The Chargers’ previous game was a 24-9 loss to the Rams. NFL.com reported that Rams defensive backs Quentin Lake and Trent McDuffie each intercepted Herbert in that game. Texans Wire also described the Chargers’ offense as having struggled since Mike McDaniel arrived as offensive coordinator. McDaniel had been hired after serving as Miami’s head coach; Texans Wire said his 2025 Miami offense had also struggled, though not as badly as Los Angeles’ offense this season.
Houston expects a familiar scheme and a difficult test
Anderson said Houston expected to see familiar elements from McDaniel, whom Anderson said had coached against the Texans’ defense with San Francisco. He pointed to the Chargers’ running backs as another challenge, saying they could run downhill and attack the perimeter. Anderson said McDaniel had faced the defense before, giving Houston some idea of what to expect, while still describing the matchup as a test.
Texans Wire reported that Houston was seeking its third win of the season after the bye. The outlet said a victory could improve the Texans’ slim playoff chances, while a loss would push those chances close to zero. The game was scheduled for Sunday, Nov. 8, at SoFi Stadium; the reports listed a 3:30 p.m. kickoff without specifying a timezone.
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Sources and context
- Texans DE Will Anderson 'has a ton of respect' for QB Justin HerbertTexans Wire, republished by Yahoo Sports
- Texans' Will Anderson: Justin Herbert 'playing out of his mind' for winless ChargersNFL.com
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.