KC Chiefs Pro Bowl Players: Justin Houston

By John Viril | Jan 24, 2015

Kansas City Chiefs OLB Justin Houston earned his third straight Pro-Bowl trip for a fabulous 2014 season in which he set an NFL-record 22.0 sacks for linebackers.

Oh, yeah, Houston’s 22.0 sacks passed the best single seasons of some obscure linebackers named Lawrence Taylor (20.5) and Derrick Thomas (20.0).

Yet, Houston’s reputation seems to be seriously lagging his performance on the field. Houston fell to no. 15 in the Pro-Bowl draft, taken by Team Carter only after Michael Irvin picked Denver OLB Vonn Miller at no. 14.

His draft position disappointed Justin Houston. Houston tweeted:

As the NFL sack leader, I'm a lil mad I didn't go earlier but im happy I wasn't the last pick #probowldraft
— Justin Houston (@JHouston50) January 22, 2015

Houston fell only a 1/2 sack short of the NFL single season sack record of 22.5 held by Michael Strahan. Houston did, however, lead the NFL in sacks for the 2014 season. He finished 1/2 sack ahead of Texans DE J.J. Watt. Justin Houston will receive the Deacon Jones Award January 31 for leading the NFL in sacks.

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Yet, it is Watt that has pretty much rendered Houston’s season an afterthought.

J.J. Watt dominated defenses in 2014. Along with 20.5 sacks, J.J. Watt racked up 78 total tackles, 10 defensed passes, 1 interception (returned for an 80-yd TD), 5 forced fumbles, and a safety. That’s not even counting his three touchdown receptions and a goal-line substitution.

While Houston recorded the highest rating ever recorded for an outside linebacker on Pro Football Focus.com’s metrics at 51.1, Watt blew the curve with highest rating in the site’s 8-year history for any pass rusher with a 1o7.5.

Watt will be a team captain for Team Carter in the 2015 Pro Bowl, putt the league’s two most devastating pass rushers on the same squad.

I bet quarterbacks across the league are glad they do not have to face that tandem during the regular season. Otherwise, their insurance policies against career-ending injury would soar.

Justin Houston joins three fellow Kansas City Chiefs players Jamaal Charles, Dontari Poe, and Tamba Hali on Team Carter, which means Kansas City fans won’t have any trouble picking knowing which side to root for on Sunday.

Houston’s relative obscurity won’t, however, hurt him in the pocketbook. Houston managed to put up his high-water season in his free-agent year. While Kansas City Chiefs general manager John Dorsey is expected to slap the franchise label on Houston, the team will certainly attempt to negotiate a long-term deal with its prize outside linebacker.

That contract won’t come cheap. Justin Houston is the NFL’s premier edge rusher.

Next: Mock Draft Presuming Jameis Winston Falls to KC

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