The Kansas City Chiefs have been waiting for this moment. And it was a move that the team could sense was coming.
Even last week when Justin Houston was still sackless in his NFL career, he was noticeably among the best defenders on the field against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Therefore, a breakout week was coming his way and it came today against the Chicago Bears. The Chiefs third round pick had a career day today, to say the least, with 7 tackles, 1 pass defensed and 3 quarterback sacks — the first three of his career.
Kansas City has long been searching for the counterpart for Tamba Hali on the field. The Chiefs have been woefully lacking the pass rush department and they drafted Houston out of Georgia for that very reason — his ability to get at the passer from the 3-4 outside linebacker spot in college. Yet thus far this year, he’s failed to deliver and no other Chiefs defender has stepped up in that role either. Now with three sacks against the Bears, he will likely be immediately christened as the new leader on the other side of the field.
Here’s hoping Houston only gets better from here and gives the Chiefs what they needed. If so, the Chiefs defense just got a whole lot beter.