It sure sounds like Justin Houston is playing this weekend. That’s the way everyone is talking — not if he plays but when he plays this weekend. That’s great news for the Kansas City Chiefs as they figure out how their defense is going to look with Houston, Dee Ford, Tamba Hali and the other pass rushers.
The Chiefs need to figure out who will play on which side. Houston lines up on the left side and Ford has been lining up on the left side in his absence. I would guess you keep the most accomplished guy - Houston - in his spot on the left side. Chiefs DC Bob Sutton said they would be open to both sides.
“Sometimes, we play Justin and Tamba on the same side together,” Sutton said. “There’s different defenses. Those guys are in different places. There’s no question that his home is left side more than right. I don’t think either one of those guys or any of those guys feel like they can only play one side. Tamba has played both sides this season quite a bit. I don’t think it will really affect them on how we play. It may be based on who else is in the game at that time.”
Perhaps a hint here is that Dee Ford was asked about this on a radio show this week and he said “more than likely” he would move to the other side but that they can play both sides. It didn’t sound definitive but it’s what he said so we’ll keep that in mind.
The other thing the Chiefs need to figure out exactly how much Houston will play. He’s not going to play every snap this weekend, right? (Watch, he’s gonna play every snap now)
“I think we would do exactly what we did with Eric Berry when he came back,” Sutton said. “We concede to him – ‘I need a break. Hey, I’m fine.’ Most of the time, we have to monitor when they say, ‘I’m fine,’ because they like to keep playing. I think they’re honest, and they know when they’re a little winded, a little tired.”
How many of you think Houston will ask out of the game? Not me. Houston told the media that how much he plays is a coaching decision but he feels like he could play a lot. The Chiefs will have to monitor him.