Texans Will Anderson has "a ton of respect" for Titans QB Cam Ward

Tennessee Titans quarterback Cam Ward is not a household name. He had a lot of success in college, particularly with the Miami Hurricanes, but that did not translate to the NFL in his rookie season and his numbers so far this season are not the greatest.

Their offensive scheme relies more on the run game with running back Tony Pollard. Pollard had a slow start to the season but seemed better in Week 4 despite the Titans losing.

Even though the Houston Texans and Titans are 0-4 going into their game against each other on Sunday, Texans All-Pro defensive end Will Anderson knows Ward is a talented quarterback and has a lot of respect for him as well as Tennessee's rushing attack with Pollard.

"He's grown a lot from his first year to now. We have a ton of respect for him," Anderson said. "He can throw the ball down the field, can escape the pocket, make plays with his legs. I think he's taking that step in his game and getting better. I know they're relying on the run game with Pollard. He's a really great running back, really good at jump cuts, can get downhill really fast. We've played a lot of games against him and we have a lot of respect for him. It's going to be a great challenge for us, but we have to stay disciplined, own your box, stay in your gaps, knock back, set edges, close when you need to close and fit everything the right way."

Ward finished 0-2 last season for the Texans, threw only one touchdown, had an interception and was sacked five times. However, Houston's defense is not playing on the same level as last season which could make them vulnerable against this young offense.

The Texans are looking to avoid starting the season 0-5 for the first time since 2005. That season, they finished the year with just two wins and claimed the No. 1 overall pick for the 2006 NFL Draft.

Current Tennessee Titans head coach Robert Saleh was a defensive intern for Houston during 2005 and a confidant of DeMeco Ryans during their tenure on staff in San Francisco.