Houston Heading Toward Big Season.

[Micjones]

If you are looking for one NFL player that is capable of a breakout season in 2012 then look no farther than Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Justin Houston.

The Chiefs drafted Houston in the third round out of Georgia and getting him there was a steal. Houston was projecting as a mid-first round pick before he tested positive for marijuana use at the NFL scouting combine. Teams backed away from a player stupid enough to smoke weed so close to such an important event but the Chiefs felt that Houston’s value was too great to pass on in round three. They also felt that, after talking with Houston, that there wouldn’t be any future trouble.

So far, KC’s investment is paying off big time.

Houston got off to a slow start last season (what Chiefs player didn’t) but by the end of the year he had forced his way into the starting lineup and soon he became an every-down player. In fact, Houston’s numbers and grades from Pro Football Focus indicated that he could be a monster in 2012. First, take a look at Houston’s overall grades from 2012.

Houston’s first four weeks were crap. After that he didn’t play as much and when he did he was average. Then, from Week 10 on, save a slip-up against the eventual AFC Champion Patriots, Houston was a beast. He finished the season with an overall grade of +6.8.

Yet there was a clear moment when Houston “got it” and it appeared to come around Week 10. We were tracking Houston’s progress here on AA and we had already noticed he had gone from bad to average and correctly predicted that he was about to turn the corner.*

*This is just one of the many reasons you should subscribe to premium stats at Pro Football Focus.

So what kind of season might Houston have in 2012? Chances are he could be even better than he was from Week 10 on of last season. But what if he was just equally as good? What would his numbers look like?

In 2011,Houston finished the year with six sacks, three QB hits, 13 QB hurries, three batted passes, 45 tackles and 32 stops.*

*The official NFL numbers credit Houston for a few more tackles. They also credit him with -.5 a sack. We’re using PFF numbers here because we believe them to be more accurate. PFF doesn’t give out 1/2 sacks. If two players get there at the same time, they both get credit for a sack.

His grades from PFF were as follows:

Overall: +6.8, Run D: +7.4, Pass Coverage: -7.6

If we take his numbers from Week 10 on, average them out and project them for an entire season, they look like this.

12 sacks

4 QB Hits

22 QB Hurries

58 Tackles

50 Stops

+33.4 Overall Grade

How does that +33.4 overall grade stack up against all 3-4 OLB from 2011?

It would be good for #3 in the entire NFL behind only Cameron Wake (+43.5) and Aldon Smith (+36.4) and ahead of players like Demarcus Ware (+32.6) and even Tamba Hali (+31.4).

The 50 stops?

Yeah, that’d be the best in the NFL.

The stops are really important because those are plays basically blown up by Houston. Add to that 12 sacks and you’ve got yourself an absolute force at OLB opposite Tamba Hali.

2012 will be Houston’s second season in Romeo Crennel’s defense. He’ll likely benefit from a full offseason of work and a more structured preseason plan from Romeo Crennel rather than Todd Haley’s “we’ll take it slow approach.” Houston should be ready right out of the gate this season and if he can string together 17 weeks of play comparable to his last eight weeks of football in 2011, the Kansas City Chiefs defense is going to be very, very good.

And Justin Houston could be heading to the Pro Bowl.

The Story.

[BigMeatballDave]

Originally Posted by beach tribe

Yeah, noticed that after I had written it. The Houston pick was a great, great pick. He's gonna rape face this season.

What's ****ed up about Homo and Magicqueef is we all know that Miller is a better pass rusher than Houston.

Where their vaginas start bleeding is when we try to tell them Miller isn't that much better, considering he was #2 overall compared to Houston, who was #70.

Butthurt ensued.

[Quesadilla Joe]

Originally Posted by Toad King

Dude, no one is saying Houston is better than Von.

Try a little reading comprehension.

The point is: the gap between the two is not as wide as the Grand Canyon.

I believe it is.

Houston had one good game against the worst offensive line in football. Von Miller was compared to Lawrence Taylor last year by NFL GM's. Houston's upside is Mike Vrabel.

[mcaj22]

the numbers will always be skewed because Von Miller is the best LBer that Denver has. And their defense is structured around him. Our defense is not structured around Justin Houston. He's the 3rd option in the front 7 if that. If you are comparing Miller to Derrick Johnson or Tamba Hali than its not even close, and never will be as those two are far superior players. It's not like Justin Houston is our main LBer that carries the load to stopping the run or pass rush. He will get 1 on 1 looks because of the gameplanning to that of Tamba Hali or DJ.

[Quesadilla Joe]

If you are comparing Miller to Derrick Johnson or Tamba Hali than its not even close, and never will be as those two are far superior players.

GoChiefs could show you some PFF stats that say otherwise. He won't though.

[BigMeatballDave]

Originally Posted by Cassel>Manning

I believe it is.

Houston had one good game against the worst offensive line in football. Von Miller was compared to Lawrence Taylor last year by NFL GM's. Houston's upside is Mike Vrabel.

And we believe you're a ****ing moron.

Is it at all possible for you to stop being a cockbag, trolling, homer for 1 ****ing second?

[Hammock Parties]

Originally Posted by Cassel>Manning

Houston had one good game against the worst offensive line in football.

You're being obtuse.

Justin Houston was one of the best outside linebackers in football the second half of last season.

That analysis comes from the same source that rated Von Miller #1.

[Easy 6]

I just cant wait to put all of these pointless arguments to bed when we beat the motherloving dogshit out of denver & miller is powerless to stop it.

[mcaj22]

we still have matt cassel, no matter how good justin houston is or how we shut miller down

we sadly still have matt ****ing cassel. so we can lose any game at any time.

[Quesadilla Joe]

Originally Posted by Dave

And we believe you're a ****ing moron.

Is it at all possible for you to stop being a cockbag, trolling, homer for 1 ****ing second?

Let me just break it down.

I think that Von Miller is going to be the OLB'er of his generation. I feel he is a once in a decade type of player.

So when people try and say that Justin Houston can somehow compare to him on any level it offends me. To me, it's like a Chiefs fan trying to argue that Matt Cassel compares to Peyton Manning in some way.

You don't see me trying to compare Quinton Carter to Eric Berry.

[Marcellus]

Originally Posted by mcaj22

we still have matt cassel, no matter how good justin houston is or how we shut miller down

we sadly still have matt ****ing cassel. so we can lose any game at any time.

Does anybody else ever get tired of this shit? This thread is not about the ****ing QB! Its the ****ing off season for **** sake and we have no chance of Cassel just going away so get the **** over your (not you in particular) bleeding vagina BS and quit ****ing bitching until the bullets start flying.

**** this place is depressing.

[BigMeatballDave]

Originally Posted by Cassel>Manning

Let me just break it down.

I think that Von Miller is going to be the OLB'er of his generation. I feel he is a once in a decade type of player.

So when people try and say that Justin Houston can somehow compare to him on any level it offends me. To me, it's like a Chiefs fan trying to argue that Matt Cassel compares to Peyton Manning in some way.

You don't see me trying to compare Quinton Carter to Eric Berry.

Boo ****ing Hoo.

Go find a donkey BB if your labia is sore.

NONE OF US think Houston is better than Miller. Okay?

Dumbass.

[BossChief]

Originally Posted by Cassel>Manning

I believe it is.

Houston had one good game against the worst offensive line in football. Von Miller was compared to Lawrence Taylor last year by NFL GM's. Houston's upside is Mike Vrabel.

Houstons ceiling is a guy that always has double digit sacks while also stuffing the run.

Lamaar Woodley is the best comparison.

Originally Posted by Cassel>Manning

Let me just break it down.

I think that Von Miller is going to be the OLB'er of his generation. I feel he is a once in a decade type of player.

So when people try and say that Justin Houston can somehow compare to him on any level it offends me. To me, it's like a Chiefs fan trying to argue that Matt Cassel compares to Peyton Manning in some way.

You don't see me trying to compare Quinton Carter to Eric Berry.

zero objectivity

[Hammock Parties]

Originally Posted by Cassel>Manning

So when people try and say that Justin Houston can somehow compare to him on any level it offends me. To me, it's like a Chiefs fan trying to argue that Matt Cassel compares to Peyton Manning in some way.
.

Matt Cassel is in the bottom third of this league's QBs.

Justin Houston is a top 10 3-4 OLB already if you go by what he did in the final 8 games last season.

Continue being a reerun.

[BossChief]

How many games did Miller play against the "Barry Richardsons" of the NFL?

Going from Richardson and Pope to Winston and Moeaki/Boss is gonna be huge in keeping Miller contained.

[beach tribe]

Originally Posted by Marcellus

Does anybody else ever get tired of this shit? This thread is not about the ****ing QB! Its the ****ing off season for **** sake and we have no chance of Cassel just going away so get the **** over your (not you in particular) bleeding vagina BS and quit ****ing bitching until the bullets start flying.

**** this place is depressing.

Sick of it.
It's so ****ing tired, and such a pointless waste of time to have to read the same posters post the same redundant monotonous shit in every thread.