Less Is More for Ravens Linebacker Justin Houston
OWINGS MILLS, Md. — The Ravens have been more conservative with the snaps for outside linebacker Justin Houston.
The team has put him on the field less, which has led to more production.
Houston leads the team with 8.5 sacks and feels good physically at the midpoint of the season.
"I think it’s very beneficial, especially at this point in my career," Houston said about playing fewer snaps. "I was used to playing the whole game, but [when] you take a couple of years off from not playing the whole game, it’s kind of tough to get back into the swing of that. But I think it’s just keeping everybody fresh.
"If you can put a fresh edge guy out there all game and putting pressure on their guys … Their tackles, they play all game – they don’t get a break – so if you can rotate and keep a guy fresh on him at all times, that helps a defense a lot.”
Baker Mayfield declined an invitation by @Ravens QB Lamar Jackson's mother to train with them in Florida. Maybe he should have taken her up on the offer. #RavensFlock https://t.co/e6ryQ29zsE via @toddkarpovich
— Todd Karpovich (@toddkarpovich) November 17, 2022
The return of fellow outside linebacker Tyus Bowser and the impending debut of David Ojabo will help Houston even more.
He's on the verge of becoming the first Ravens player to earn double-digit sacks since Terrell Suggs in 2017.
“First of all, it’s definitely God healing me, and renewing me, and giving me my strength, but I think it’s [also] the defense as a whole," Houston said. "We’re doing a great job covering, and the linebackers are playing well, the DBs are playing well. [When] you’ve got everybody on the same page, it’s easier to get to the quarterback – he’s got to hold the ball, he can’t get rid of it fast – so it makes my job easy.”