James Houston IV had a tremendous first game in the NFL. One could expect his former collegiate coach and Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders would have been ecstatic watching Houston on Thanksgiving Day.
Houston’s first game was electrifying as Coach Prime’s NFL debut with the Atlanta Falcons, where he scored a touchdown on a punt return.
Nevertheless, should Detroit return Houston to their practice squad? If so, expect NFL teams to be interested in his pass-rushing talent skills. Many could use a James Houston IV at this point of the season.
Detroit Lions linebacker James Houston (59) celebrates a sack of Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) during the second half at Ford Field in Detroit on Thursday, Nov. 24, 2022. Credit: © Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK
However, before we venture into his future, how special was James Houston IV’s debut with the Detroit Lions?
Here are five things about his debut:
- Houston became the first Detroit player to record a multi-sack game in their first NFL game.
- Houston had two tackles on the day. Both were sacks against a strong, fast, and one of the best quarterbacks in the National Football League.
- His sacks are recorded as 2 TFLs (tackles for loss).
- Also, the league considers them as QB Hits.
- Last, Houston had a fumble recovery on special teams.
Nov 24, 2022; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) gets sacked by Detroit Lions linebacker James Houston (59) in the third quarter at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Lon Horwedel-USA TODAY Sports
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DAN CAMPBELL ON HOUSTON’S PERFORMANCE
It was quite a special day for the former Jackson State Tiger. HBCU fans across the conferences applauded his performance. Especially his head coach Dan Campbell.
“Yeah, Houston did a good job,” Campbell said of his first start. “We’ve been excited about getting him up. We’ve been looking to try to work it out over for a while now, and it just hadn’t worked out maneuvering through the roster and injuries. But we knew we needed a little rush, and we felt like him [Houston] could provide that. You don’t think the first game he’s going to get straight off. There’ll be two sacks. But, I mean, some of the things he’s able to do doesn’t surprise us. It was encouraging. It’s good to get him up.”
Nov 24, 2022; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell watches his team warm up before their game against the Buffalo Bills at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Lon Horwedel-USA TODAY Sports
The Detroit Lions (4-7) are in second place in the NFC North division and remain in contention for a wild-card playoffs berth.
Would Detroit risk returning Houston to the practice squad after showcasing his talent in front of a national audience? That could be a pricey decision for Dan Campbell. Teams still competing for the postseason and needing a pass rusher could see value in signing Houston to an active roster with a 6th-round draft choice contract.
One team I cover, the New Orleans Saints, is in dire need of an edge rusher after multiple injuries to the top-three defensive ends. Expect captivating decisions regarding James Houston IV’s NFL career to occur this week.
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