James Houston didn't expect to play all that much in his NFL debut. Then he notched two sacks in front of a sold-out crowd on Thanksgiving.
A seventh-round pick out of Jackson State, Houston nearly helped lift the Lions to a stunning upset of the Bills three months after failing to make Detroit's roster out of training camp.
"I was expecting to spare a little bit and go in on third downs and help out a little," Houston said after the Lions' 28-25 loss. "With (Julian Okwara) going out, I went in a little bit more. It’s just, opportunity meets preparation and that breeds success.”
Okwara left the game in the first half with an elbow injury, opening the door for Houston. He stormed through it with a third-down sack of Josh Allen late in the second quarter to force a field goal. Midway through the third quarter, Houston got Allen again, this time to force a punt.
Not bad for a former defensive end playing linebacker who was elevated from the practice squad to the active roster on Wednesday.
"We’ve been excited about getting him up," said Dan Campbell. "We knew we needed a little rush and we thought he could provide that. You don’t think the first game he’s going to get two sacks, but some of the things he’s able to do doesn’t surprise us."
Nor does it surprise Houston's teammates.
"He has some special pass rush abilities that we’ve been seeing for weeks," said linebacker Alex Anzalone. "He definitely capitalized on his opportunities, and (the Bills) were not ready for him. It’s fun to watch when young guys like that get an opportunity and capitalize on it.”
Houston, 24, was nicknamed 'Da Problem' last season at Jackson State when he racked up 16.5 sacks and seven forced fumbles after transferring from Florida. He lived up to it Thursday against the Bills, with more opportunities to come.
"Knowing that I was on the practice squad and switching positions, I had a lot on my plate mentally, physically, everything," Houston said. "Obviously, the guys in the front office knew that I had a little bit more process to go. They unleashed me and it showed.”
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