The Detroit Lions defense hasn’t been nearly as good as originally advertised this season.
Detroit has allowed 23.7 points per game this season – 24th in the NFL – and has been very susceptible to the pass after it gave up the 23rd-most passing yards this season.
The Lions have also tallied just 34 sacks on the year, which ranks 24th in the NFL.
But the Lions will get a huge defensive contributor back before the end of the season after the team designated edge rusher James Houston to return from injured reserve.
Houston last played in the Lions’ Week 2 overtime loss to the Seattle Seahawks where he played just 11 defensive snaps before he suffered an ankle injury and landed on injured reserve.
The 2022 sixth-round pick was a crucial piece in the Lions’ late-season surge this past season after he registered all eight of his sacks in the final seven games of the season, including a three-sack performance in a 41-10 Week 17 win over the Chicago Bears.
He finished second on the team in sacks behind 2022 first-rounder Aidan Hutchinson and third in quarterback hits behind Hutchinson and defensive lineman John Cominsky.
Houston returns at the right time for the Lions just as they clinched the NFC North for the first time since 1993.
Detroit faces two critical matchups in their final two games against the Dallas Cowboys and Minnesota Vikings – two teams they could potentially see in the NFC playoffs as well.
The defense just came off a four-interception, four-sack performance in a win over the Vikings and could have Houston back for one or both of their final regular season games before the postseason.
Lions’ CJ Gardner-Johnson out for Week 17 vs. Cowboys
It looks like the Detroit Lions community will have to do a bit more waiting, as safety CJ Gardner-Johnson has been ruled out for the Lions’ week 17 matchup against the Dallas Cowboys, as per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport
Back in Week 2, Gardner-Johnson suffered a torn pectoral muscle against the Seattle Seahawks. Despite the injury, the 26-year-old managed to continue playing through the pain, finishing the outing with eight combined tackles (seven solo and one assisted). In his two games with the Lions, Gardner-Johnson managed 13 combined tackles and two passes defended.
While the safety has been medically cleared to play again early in December and has already been practicing with Detroit, the Lions seem to be taking precautions, making sure that the returning Gardner-Johnson is 100% once he steps on the field again.
What Gardner-Johnson brings to the Lions
After three seasons with the New Orleans Saints, Gardner-Johnson arguably had his best year with the Philadelphia Eagles during the 2022-23 season.
In 12 regular season games, Gardner-Johnson managed to tally a total of 67 combined tackles (61 solo and six assisted), eight passes defended and six interceptions. In three postseason games, he produced 12 combined tackles, four of which came in the Eagles’ Super Bowl loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.
As of late, Gardner-Johnson has been posting several Instagram videos teasing his return. It’s not surprising, considering the Lions’ current winning season. Detroit holds an 11-3 record while sitting at the top of the NFC North, their first division title in over 30 years.
Ahead of their matchup against the Cowboys, the Lions look to bring momentum coming from a two-game win streak, one of which includes a brutal thrashing of the Denver Broncos in Week 15.
Once CJ Gardner-Johnson returns, the Lions will surely be a more formidable team, as good as they already are.
