‘That’s my plan’: Detroit Lions Edge Rusher announes plan that has caused…
Allen Park — Detroit Lions edge rusher James Houston said he plans to play in Sunday’s NFC divisional-round playoff game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Ford Field.
But we now must wait to learn whether that’s the coaching staff’s plan, too.
After breaking his ankle in the team’s Week 2 loss to Seattle, Houston was cleared to return from injured reserve on Thursday, December 28, just in time for the team’s Week 17 trip to Dallas. This week marks the conclusion of his three-week acclimation period, so the Lions must make a decision by Thursday regarding whether to activate the second-year rusher or return him to injured reserve to finish the season.
When asked if he could play against Tampa, Houston responded, “Yeah, that’s my plan, at least.” “Yeah, my window closes this week,”
When Houston covered a kickoff against the Seahawks, he fractured his fibula. After surgery to stabilise the break, his ankle was implanted with four screws, two tight ropes (braided cords that stabilise the fibula), and a plate.
Houston only needed to “go out and practise and see how effective you can be” in order to return to the starting lineup, according to Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn. We’ll put you in there and let you play if you’re productive.”
Houston was listed as out of the game on the final injury report for the week, despite some rumours that he would be able to play against the Los Angeles Rams.
He responded that it’s best to leave questions about whether he could have played on Sunday to the coaches, but he did add that he’s getting better every day and that this isn’t a “typical injury.”
“Every day is a big improvement. You really don’t want to just go back on this kind of injury,” Houston stated. “Every day it feels better, but you really want more time off.”
Houston, who was selected in the sixth round of the 2022 NFL Draft, is accustomed to adjusting to the midseason. After making his NFL debut against the Buffalo Bills in Week 12 of the previous year, he went on to have one of the most successful rookie campaigns ever, accumulating eight sacks in just seven games.
However, witnessing Sunday’s playoff victory firsthand changed his understanding of what it means to return to the postseason after missing the regular season.
“I saw last week how important every series and every play is, even in our preparation, but especially just during the game,” Houston remarked. There’s a lot here, so you want to be precise. You don’t want to be the cause of something going wrong or your team failing.
The fact that they couldn’t play Los Angeles had one advantage. Houston claimed that he rarely looks up at the crowd when he’s on the pitch. However, missing Sunday’s victory over the Rams afforded him one of the nicest seats in the house.
It was quite energising. That was, I won’t lie, rather insane. “I was like, ‘Wow, this is NFL playoff football,'” Houston remarked after witnessing it.
