Houston Texans defensive end Will Anderson Jr. is two-for-two in his NFL career in reaching the postseason. And this time around, the former Alabama All-American understands the honor and the opportunity in making the playoffs better than he did last season.

“(Texans defensive end) Mario Edwards, he has been in the league for 10 years, and this is only his second year being in the playoffs,” Anderson told reporters in the Houston locker room on Thursday. “I’ve been blessed enough to be in the league two years already and be in two playoffs myself. …

“We have to cherish this moment and embrace it and really step into it fully.”

In Anderson’s rookie season, the Texans jumped to AFC South champions after Houston won three games in 2022. The Texans followed their 10 regular-season victories by beating the Cleveland Browns 45-14 in the first round of the AFC playoffs before the Baltimore Ravens ended Houston’s season with a 34-10 decision.

“I know like last year going into it, I was a rookie,” Anderson said. “I didn’t really understand it. Now that I know what’s at stake, like last year we was two games away from going to the Super Bowl, and I’ve just been telling the guys we got four games to lock in, we got four games for everybody to sacrifice whatever you need to sacrifice, commit, be detailed and mentally sound.”

The Texans open the AFC playoffs against the Los Angeles Chargers at 3:30 p.m. CST Saturday at NRG Stadium in Houston. CBS will televise the game.

Anderson followed a seven-sack rookie season with 11 sacks in his second. From the other end of the Texans’ defensive line, Danielle Hunter produced 12 sacks.

The Houston defensive ends will be matched against one of the top offensive-tackle tandems in the NFL – left tackle Rashawn Slater, a Pro Bowl selection this season, and right tackle Joe Alt, the fifth pick in the NFL Draft on April 25.

“It’s the NFL,” Anderson said. “You’re going to go against good guys every week. I’m excited for the challenge. I know Danielle is excited for the challenge.

“And it’s not even about them; it’s about us. How are we executing the game plan? And it really starts in the run game, for real. Like, we could talk pass rush all day, but we got to do a good job of stopping the run and make sure we’re knocking these guys back and being physical with them out the gate.”

In three seasons at Alabama, Anderson played for two SEC championship teams, one team that won the CFP national championship and another that lost in the title contest. The Crimson Tide won six postseason games and lost one in his three seasons, and Anderson has continued to play past the regular-season schedule in the NFL.

“I love them,” Anderson said of playoff games. “I think that’s what you come here for. Of course, you come here for the regular-season play, but the ultimate goal is the postseason. I’ve been blessed enough to be in college and be in the postseason, and I know it’s a different level of awareness, a different level of intensity, physicality, mental strain that you have to go out there and push yourself to.”

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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on X at @AMarkG1.