When James Houston broke his ankle on a special teams play in the second game of this season, he briefly felt sorry for himself. Of course he did. The 25-year-old had designs of a major encore after storming onto the stage last season, and now the curtain would be dropped for months.
"I was just like, 'Man, this is the most terrible time that this could happen.' But it’s like, bro, you’re blessed to continue to walk, you didn’t have to get your leg amputated, life could be so much worse," Houston said Wednesday as he nears a return to the field for the Lions. "You’re in the NFL making hundreds of thousands of dollars, they’re paying you to get back healthy."
So that's what Houston did, and continues to do. He said he's trying to take the rehab and treatment that he's received from the Lions "and expand it as much as I can so when I get back on the field, I’m that much better." The goal for Houston, who had eight sacks in seven games as a rookie, is to return to action by the end of the season with the intention of being in top form when the Lions enter the playoffs.
"Looking like the timeline now is before the playoffs, I should be able to get some games in," Houston said, adding that he wants to "get my feet under me" as the 9-3 Lions track toward their first playoff appearance in seven years.
"The guys that have been there have been telling me, playoff games are a whole different animal, so you gotta be able to elevate your game," Houston said.
The Lions have missed Houston's pass-rushing ability all season. They have no one opposite Aidan Hutchinson to generate consistent pressure on the quarterback, which has allowed opposing teams to neutralize Hutchinson with double teams. When they were both on the field in the Lions' final seven games last season, Houston and Hutchinson combined for 12 sacks and 39 quarterback pressures.
Houston's return this season could give Detroit's defense another playmaker off the edge.
"I feel like I’m an extremely explosive player. I like to say I’m a game-changer. So I feel like that’s really what I can help with, especially with pass rushes, sacks, forced fumbles, all types of things, even interceptions," Houston said. "I feel like that’s what the teams needs, they need turnovers, they need explosive plays to swing that momentum in our favor, and that’s something I feel like I’m really good at."
Indeed, the Lions have placed an emphasis on creating more takeaways down the stretch. It's what sparked their defensive surge in the second half of last season. They got two in last week's win over the Saints, though both were gifts from the offense. Another player who could help? C.J. Gardner-Johnson, who, like Houston, is eyeing a late-season return after tearing his pec in Week 2. The star defensive back led the NFL in interceptions last season despite playing in just 12 games.
"Those are two high-level players, and I feel like we can really change the outcome of our season, the outcome of the defense, everything," Houston said. "Two players that can really help the defense. I'm excited, I know he’s excited, I feel like we can really do a lot. I know AG’s probably looking for us to come back, so it should be a really exciting time."
Houston was in a much different place just a few months ago, fearing that the NFL might move on without him after his breakout season. He acknowledged he felt "an anxiety building up," a "mixture of nervousness and anticipation."
"You just want to get back on that field and feel normal and comfortable again, he said.
Houston is nearing a return to normal, and planning to make quarterbacks uncomfortable down the stretch.