Another defensive starter, defensive tackle Alim McNeill, landed on injured reserve for the Detroit Lions on December 5. At the earliest, McNeill will be back for the regular season finale. But there’s good news for the Lions on the injury front. Linebacker James Houston is trending toward returning before Week 18.
“It’s looking like the timeline is before the playoffs, I should be able to get some games in,” Houston told reporters on December 6.
Houston has only played nine NFL games, but the Lions have significantly missed the 25-year-old. In just seven contests as a rookie last season, Houston recorded 8 sacks, 7 tackles for loss and 11 quarterback hits.
The linebacker has been sidelined since breaking a fibula on special teams during Week 2.
Lions’ ‘Game-Changer’ James Houston Getting Closer to Return
After a historic second half of 2022, there was a lot of hype surrounding Houston entering this season. But he’s only played 32 defensive snaps because of his injury.
The expectation was with Houston and fellow second-year defensive end Aidan Hutchinson, the Lions would greatly improve at pressuring quarterbacks.
While Detroit’s defense has improved in a lot of ways, the Lions are 27th in 25 sacks. They are also tied for 23rd with only 14 takeaways.
If Houston returns, though, the Lions will add a defender to their defense that can help create more big plays.
“I feel like I’m an extremely explosive player,” Houston told the media. “I like to say I’m a game-changer. So I feel like that’s what I can really help with, especially in the pass rushes, sacks, forced fumbles, all types of things, even interceptions.
“Things like that, that can change a game, change the momentum, and that’s really what I’m all about.”
In his NFL debut last season, Houston recorded 2 sacks on just 5 defensive snaps. From Week 13 to the end of 2022, he had 6 sacks in six games, helping the Lions finish 5-1.
Houston Aiming to Return With C.J. Gardner-Johnson
Houston isn’t the only impactful player the Lions could get back on defense for the stretch run. Defensive back C.J. Gardner-Johnson has continuously hyped his own potential injury return on social media.
On November 30, Gardner-Johnson posted a black screen with the caption, “December 20” in his Instagram story. That would be the first day of practice for the Lions to prepare for the Week 16 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings.
Lions head coach Dan Campbell wasn’t as optimistic. He joked on November 20 that Gardner-Johnson would need mutant genes like Wolverine to return that soon.
But Campbell also didn’t rule it out.
Houston wasn’t as specific as Gardner-Johnson with his potential return date. But he used the phrase “some games” when describing his return before the playoffs.
Reading between the lines, Houston is expecting to be back, at the latest, against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 17. The Lions will conclude the regular season versus the Vikings in Week 18.
Houston emphasized how huge it would be for him and Gardner-Johnson, who has also been out since Week 2, to return before the postseason.
“Those are two high-level players, and I feel like we can really change the outcome of our season, the outcome of our defense, everything,” Houston said. “These are two players that can really help the defense.
“So, I’m excited. I know he’s excited; I feel like we can really do a lot. I know AG (Aaron Glenn) is probably looking for us to come back, so it should be a really exciting time.”
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Lions’ James Houston Breaks Silence on Potential Return Timeline