Justin Houston, Chiefs defensive line has best game of year in win over 49ers
It’s been a rough start to the year for the Chiefs’ pass rushers.
Put linebacker Justin Houston atop that list.
A difference maker for a half-decade — when healthy, anyway — Houston did not record a solo tackle in the season opener in Los Angeles. A week later, he had just two in Pittsburgh, prompting wonderment over just how much the edge rusher would contribute in his age-29 season.
On Sunday, he showed some flashes of his former self. Houston had a pair of sacks — and forced fumbles on both — during the Chiefs’ 38-27 win against the San Francisco 49ers at Arrowhead Stadium.
The Chiefs (3-0) recorded four sacks as a team, with linebacker Dee Ford and interior lineman Allen Bailey also recording one each. Ford left the game in fourth quarter because of a groin injury and will have a MRI on Monday to determine its severity.
“I think we did good, but we can do better,” Houston said. “I missed a couple. I had them in my hand. I can’t do that. That can hurt us in the long run. So when I have the opportunity to make a play, I gotta make it.”
With defensive coordinator Bob Sutton’s preference to not implement the blitz, the success of the defense is often predicated on the ability to apply pressure with just three or four rushers. The Chiefs need Houston to play a leading role in that plan. He has 71 1/2 sacks in his career after the two Sunday.
The pressure arrived at a key time.
With the 49ers knocking on the door to make it a one-score game in the fourth quarter, Chiefs lineman Allen Bailey sacked quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo for an eight-yard loss. One play later, Houston got to Garoppolo for another eight-yard loss. Houston also chased the quarterback on the next play, in which Garoppolo scrambled to the sideline and likely tore his ACL after he decided to stay in bounds and fight for extra yards.
That essentially ended the threat after the 49ers opted for a field goal on fourth-and-goal from the 17.
“That’s a lock for us, but we put ourselves in that situation,” Houston said. “They drove down the field. They shouldn’t have even been able to drive the field like that. So if we keep ourselves out of that situation, that’s even bigger.”
A week ago, Houston actually did sack Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger once — forcing a fumble on that play, too — but it was negated by a holding call.
And so it went. Roethlisberger dropped back more than 60 times but was sacked only once. He rarely needed to leave the pocket.
It was a different story Sunday, particularly on what proved to be the 49ers’ final drive.
“I think we came in knowing that we could get after these guys,” defensive lineman Xavier Williams said. “We knew that if we could take care of the run game and get them into passing situations, I think we were really confident in the rushers we had — Justin Houston, Dee Ford, (Chris) Jones, (Allen) Bailey. We were just really confident that all of us could just kind of take advantage of this offensive line.”
The came to fruition in the sacks.
But not everywhere. The Chiefs still allowed 406 yards, including 178 on the ground. They have given up more than 400 yards in all three victories.
“We know we’re gonna have that game where the offense is gonna struggle — it’s part of the NFL,” Houston said. “We know we’re gonna have to play better at the end of the game, especially when it comes playoff time. We can’t allow a team to put up that many points against us.”
Sam McDowell
Sam McDowell covers Sporting Kansas City, the Royals, Chiefs and sports enterprise for The Star
