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Justin Houston is Pro Bowl bound, making it six KC Chiefs headed to Hawaii

Justin Houston is going bowling. The Kansas City Chiefs announced that Houston has been named to the 2013 Pro Bowl as an alternate after Denver Broncos linebacker Von Miller pulled out due to injury. This is Houston's first Pro Bowl. (Image credit: The great @ChrisSembower | Facebook)

By Joel Thorman
@ChrisSembower

I traveled to Washington D.C. on Tuesday evening for my brother Chris' big birthday and when I landed last night I had a message from the Kansas City Chiefs: Justin Houston is a Pro Bowler. The Chiefs already have five Pro Bowlers and Houston was named an alternate making it six (!!!) Pro Bowlers for the Chiefs.

One more time: The 2-14 2012 Chiefs have six Pro Bowlers.

Broncos linebacker Von Miller pulled out, making the spot available.

Along with Derrick Johnson and Tamba Hali, that's three of the Chiefs four linebackers in the Pro Bowl. When you wonder why Andy Reid decided to stick with the 3-4, a defense that highlights freak linebackers, well this is your answer. The Chiefs linebacker spot is what we call a foundation. That can be the basis for a great team.

I've always thought you needed two pass rushers to worry about to become a great defense. Houston is that No. 2 pass rusher. This excites me. I don't care about the two-win season right now. The future, for Houston, is very bright.

He ends the season with 10 sacks, and I noticed something interesting about those sacks -- they all were meaningful, or at least they came in close games, not blowouts. He had a sack in the Falcons game, Saints (3), Ravens (2), Steelers, Broncos (2), Panthers. So the opposite of padding his stats.

He started all 16 games last year, only one of four defensive Chiefs to do that. He led the team in sacks and pressures (19). He was third on the team in tackles (53) and tied for the lead with 13 tackles for loss. He forced a fumble, recovered a fumble and had a pick.

The Chiefs six Pro Bowlers is the most they've had since they sent six in 2005. Those players are S Eric Berry, RB Jamaal Charles, P Dustin Colquitt, LB Tamba Hali and LB Derrick Johnson.

Our Justin Houston coverage this year:

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2013 Pro Bowl: Chiefs send 6 players to Hawaii

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