Kansas City Chiefs: “Justin Houston Watch” Has Officially Begun

The Kansas City Chiefs defense has struggled without Justin Houston.  However, the star linebacker is now eligible to return, which means fans will be eagerly waiting for the big news.

The Kansas City Chiefs defense is built heavily on its pass rush.  That pass rush, in turn, is built heavily around star outside linebacker Justin Houston.  So when the Chiefs began the year without Houston on the field, there was a general understanding that it would be a rough go.  That has played out as expected so far this year.  However, Chiefs Kingdom has gotten two pieces of great news about Houston’s (hopefully) eventual return.

The first big news is that Justin Houston is now officially eligible to return to football activities.  The NFL Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) List disqualifies a player from participating for the first six weeks.  As of Monday morning this week, those six weeks are up.  That means it is now all on the health of Justin Houston as far as his return goes.

The health front is where Chiefs Kingdom sees the second piece of good news.  Justin Houston has been cleared for football activities by the renowned Dr. James Andrews.  With that blessing, Houston is now able to participate in football drills.  That is great news for the Chiefs, though it is not the final say on whether or not Houston is ready.

During the national broadcast of the Kansas City Chiefs beating down the Oakland Raiders, it was mentioned that the Chiefs expect Justin Houston back the first week of November.  Now, I can’t verify that with anything solid, but it does seem reasonable.  That timetable puts Houston back on the field when the Chiefs host the Jacksonville Jaguars on November 6th.  Not a bad time to debut.

The Chiefs Need Him

There is no doubt that the Kansas City Chiefs have sorely missed Justin Houston.  The Chiefs are currently hold the second lowest mark in sacks in the NFL with just seven.  For comparison purposes, the Chiefs already had eight sacks at the end of two weeks in 2015.  Clearly a spark is needed here.

Bob Sutton’s defense is built heavily on the pass rush.  That is what allows the secondary to play physically.  When the pass rush isn’t there, it puts more pressure on that secondary to hold their coverage longer.  When you are talking about a young secondary, like in Kansas City, that task is even tougher.

Unfortunately, without Justin Houston there just hasn’t been another player to step up as a pass rusher.  Yes, Dee Ford finally showed some signs of life last week.  However, that has not been the case for most of the year.  Opposite of Ford, Tamba Hali is showing that the wear and tear has finally caught up.  However, most disappointing of all is probably the defensive line that has accounted for just 1.5 sacks combined.

Just In Time

The Kansas City Chiefs are about to embark on a stretch of five games against opponents currently with losing records.  That makes this the perfect time to work Justin Houston back into the mix.  The Chiefs won’t feel a need to rush Houston back, or overwork him.  That gives the team time to make a smooth transition before taking on the Denver Broncos on November 27th.

There is also the possibility that Justin Houston will return before the projected November 6th date.  That, of course, would be even better for the Chiefs.  The more time the Chiefs have Houston on the field, the better.  Of course, that comes with the caveat that he could come back after the projected date.  Obviously, that is less ideal.

Next: Kansas City Chiefs: AFC West Is Wide Open

All in all, there is reason to be optimistic in Chiefs Kingdom.  The Chiefs are 3-2, and the only team in the AFC West without a division lost.  KC has just gotten back Jamaal Charles, who looked good in extended work Sunday, and is poised to get Justin Houston back soon.  Get excited Chiefs fans, because this team looks ready to contend.