Chiefs’ Mahomes on facing pal Justin Houston: ‘Hopefully he’s not hitting me too much’
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes will see Sunday what he hopes remains a friendly face across the line of scrimmage.
Mahomes and Indianapolis Colts defensive end Justin Houston, who spent eight seasons in Kansas City before being released during the offseason, are close friends. The two built a strong relationship out of mutual respect and were often observed stretching together before games as teammates in Kansas City.
Now, the two square off as competitors when the Chiefs host the Colts on Sunday Night Football at Arrowhead Stadium.
“It’s going to be really cool to get to play against him,” Mahomes said. “Obviously, he was a great player for this organization for a long time. He’s still a great player now.”
Houston’s return to Kansas City comes six months after the Chiefs elected to go a different direction in personnel from a 3-4 base defense to a 4-3 scheme under new defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo.
Before his release on March 10, the 30-year-old Houston totaled 78.5 career sacks, which ranks as the fourth-most in team history. He had a career-high and team-record 22 sacks in a single season in 2014 and was a first-team All-Pro selection in 2014 and a four-team Pro Bowler in four consecutive seasons (2012-15).
Houston eventually signed a two-year deal with the Colts, where he found himself playing in a 4-3 defensive scheme.
But so far, so good, as the veteran pass rusher hasn’t experienced difficulties transitioning from an outside linebacker to defensive end, mostly lining up over an opponent’s left tackle.
“I give Justin a lot of credit,” Colts coach Frank Reich said Wednesday during a teleconference. “I mean, athletically, I think he’s in the best shape of his life.
“He’s lean, he’s fit. I just feel like the arrow is up. I think with each week that passes and him getting comfortable in our scheme, it’s going to get better and better. I just think there’s a lot left in the tank and we just have high expectations for how he’s going to produce as we go forward.”
Through four games, Houston has 11 tackles, a sack, three quarterback hits and a fumble recovery, and the Colts believe there is more to come.
The Chiefs, however, are hoping Houston’s rise doesn’t include damage against them.
Familiarity with Houston might help the Chiefs’ offensive line in developing a plan to slow down their former teammate.
“We obviously know how great of a player he is,” left guard Andrew Wylie said of Houston. “But there are certain things to take him out of his game, certain things that we know because we’ve gone against him the most here in practice.
“We’re just trying to eliminate the space between us like on his rush attacking him more, getting him out of his game, just stuff like that.”
Should the offensive line’s game-week preparation succeed, perhaps Mahomes won’t find himself grimacing in the embrace of a Houston sack.
“Hopefully he’s not hitting me too much,” Mahomes said with a chuckle. “But I hope I get to talk to him a little bit on the other side of the football.”