Lamarr Houston, Outside linebacker
Lamarr Houston tore his ACL in the second game of the 2016 season. It was the second such injury he had suffered. However, he led the team in sacks in 2015 with eight. So, he was worth keeping on the roster, especially since Pernell McPhee also has health issues.
Houston did not play in the first preseason game against the Denver Broncos. That means that the Arizona Cardinals game was the first game action we have seen him in since September of 2016.
He entered the game with about three minutes left in the second quarter.
Lamarr Houston dropped into coverage on his first play pic.twitter.com/34sBlF1cxc
— Dustin Regan-Padilla (@dustinregpad) August 23, 2017
Houston lined up over the right tackle. The Chicago Bears ran a zone blitz with Houston dropping into coverage, while middle linebacker Christian Jones came on with a delayed blitz.
Great stunt by Lamarr Houston, who almost sacked Drew Stanton pic.twitter.com/Mo4xFnJGaF
— Dustin Regan-Padilla (@dustinregpad) August 23, 2017
On the next play, Houston lined up over the right tackle, once again. It was defensive lineman Jonathan Bullard‘s job to push the right tackle back so that Lamarr Houston could run a stunt. It was a beautiful design and it worked to perfection. Houston almost sacked Cardinals’ quarterback Drew Stanton, who was forced to throw a hurried pass that sailed over the head of his wide receiver.
It will be interesting to see if Houston’s role expands against the Titans. He could provide a nice breather for Willie Young and Leonard Floyd, while the Chicago Bears’ defense does not miss much productivity. As long as Houston stays healthy, he could be in for a productive, bounce back season.