James Houston is hoping to get back to being 'The Problem' again.
He lived up to that nickname following a rookie season in which he stormed onto the scene late in 2022, recording eight sacks in seven games played.
His second season last year was torpedoed by a broken leg suffered in Week 2 against Seattle which kept him out the entire year up to the NFC Championship Game. He played 11 snaps against the 49ers in that game and didn't record a sack or tackle.
Now entering his third season, Houston is healthy and in the best shape of his life. He's out to prove that seven-game stretch at the end of 2022 wasn't a fluke.
"I'm so excited man," Houston told detroitlions.com after practice Saturday. "Just watching the team last year, it really lit a fire up under me. The two games I played in last year I didn't really have my best games. I wish I could have played better. This is my opportunity to have a whole year to do what I need to do, so I'm really excited. It's going to be a problem (for opposing offensive tackles)."
The Lions are looking for more production opposite Aidan Hutchinson, which is one of the reasons they signed veteran edge rusher Marcus Davenport this offseason. Hutchinson had 11.5 sacks last year and all the other edge rushers on the roster combined for 9.5 sacks. Houston is among those vying for playing time opposite Hutchinson.
So far in training camp, Houston has made an impact and his unique ability to get low and bend without losing speed has been a problem for the tackles and tight ends.
"Well I know this, he's in shape. He knows he's got to be able to handle the SAM linebacker position for us, and no different than what we just talked about: Consistency," head coach Dan Campbell said of Houston. "We have to be able to trust that he's going to do what he needs to do and that whatever defense we call, he's going to handle it mentally and we can trust that."
Campbell anticipates Houston taking another step forward this year, being able to not only play the SAM spot, but also play the edge in sub packages when they move players around.
"This will be a big camp for him," Campbell said. "He knows that. I know this, he's in good shape, he looks good, he feels good, so we're excited to have him back out there."
Houston said he's feeling good and just happy to be back in the grind with the guys again. Sometimes it takes something being taken away to appreciate it even more. That's where Houston is at and the Lions are hoping their defense and their pass rush will be the beneficiary.
