The Lions look ready to unleash James Houston.
Three weeks after returning him to practice after he fractured his ankle in Week 2, the Lions have activated Houston ahead of their divisional round playoff game Sunday against the Buccaneers. They waived defensive end Julian Okwara to make room for Houston on the 53-man roster.
Houston could provide a big boost to the Lions' pass rush after racking up eight sacks in seven games as a rookie. And what better time than now, with the Lions coming off their first playoff win in 32 years and eyeing a spot in the NFC championship game. Houston said before the regular season finale that he liked the idea of making his return in the playoffs, "sitting out the whole season and watching those guys and you finally get your chance to be a part of history."
"And I love games like that," Houston said. "I feel like I shine in big games like that, so I’m looking forward to it, for sure."
Detroit will have Houston on a snap count if he indeed plays Sunday, and it's worth noting that Okwara was inactive for last Sunday's win over the Rams. No guarantees that Houston will be on the field against the Bucs. If he is, it will likely be in the same specialized pass-rushing role he played last season.
The Lions have been searching all season for someone to get after the quarterback opposite Aidan Hutchinson. When Houston and Hutchinson were both on the field last season, they combined for 12 sacks and 39 quarterback pressures over the Lions' final seven games, which came within the club's 8-2 finish. Houston said we can expect to see more of the same once he returns to action.
"Maybe not eight sacks in seven games -- I don’t got that many games," he said with a laugh. "But I’m definitely ready for the opportunity. I feel like I’m a dynamic player. When I’m out on the field, I make plays. That’s just what I’ve been doing throughout my career, so I feel like I will have a pretty big impact."