The Houston Texans are getting prepared for their second preseason game against the Carolina Panthers this weekend. However, before they hit the field at NRG Stadium on Saturday, the two teams held a joint practice on Thursday.
Joint practices are a great way for teams to get their starters a lot of work against another team without having to put them on the field in the preseason. The inclusion of joint practices allows teams like the Texans to evaluate other players on the 90-man roster during preseason games who are fighting for a job.
That said, the Texans aren’t taking this joint practice as a joke, as they got up against Carolina’s No.1s on both sides. In fact, Houston star pass rusher Will Anderson sent a message to his unit, which had some moments where they “were undisciplined.”
Will Anderson wasn’t pleased with the defense today. Said “we’ve gotta get better” and noted a couple of undisciplined moments from the defense. He said days like this are valuable and helps them get better.
— Cody Stoots (@Cody_Stoots) August 14, 2025
I thought they had a pretty decent day, but they weren’t dominant.
Will Anderson Sends Message to Texans' Defense Following Joint Practice
The third-year pass rusher said Houston’s defense has to get better, while also mentioning that days like this are valuable and help them get better, per Cody Stoots.
If you are the Texans' coaches, you like to see Anderson voicing his opinion as one of the leaders on their team and unit. For Houston to achieve their goals, everyone needs to be at their best.
That means you cannot be undisciplined and lose focus, which could lead to mistakes. With the talent Houston has on defense at all three levels, plus the offense, the Texans could be in the mix for a top-two seed in the AFC.
Now it won’t be easy, as the Baltimore Ravens, Kansas City Chiefs, and Buffalo Bills will also have something to say about that. Nonetheless, the Texans’ defense will need to be on its A-game, which starts in the preseason by eliminating those mistakes, so it doesn’t become an issue in the regular season.
That said, the good news for Anderson and the Texans is that they can fix those issues in a couple of days at NRG Stadium. The Texans’ starters did not play in the opener, and it would be a shock to see them play on Saturday, especially having this joint practice opportunity.
Therefore, whoever is on the field on defense needs to execute the plays called and play clean football, as the evaluation period continues for the next couple of weeks.
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