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Buccaneers: How Do You Stop a Problem Like Justin Houston?

By Alan Schechter

Nov 15, 2015; Denver, CO, USA; Kansas City Chiefs outside linebacker Justin Houston (50) reacts on his sidelines in the fourth quarter against the Denver Broncos at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 15, 2015; Denver, CO, USA; Kansas City Chiefs outside linebacker Justin Houston (50) reacts on his sidelines in the fourth quarter against the Denver Broncos at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports /
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Nov 13, 2016; Tampa, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Luke Stocker (88) against the Chicago Bears at Raymond James Stadium. The Buccaneers won 36-10. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 13, 2016; Tampa, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Luke Stocker (88) against the Chicago Bears at Raymond James Stadium. The Buccaneers won 36-10. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports /

Chip With Tight Ends

The return of Justin Houston comes at a bad time for a struggling Buccaneer offensive line. The Chiefs already had the NFL leader in sacks in Dee Ford, and now they get the leader from 2014 as well. Houston won’t step in and right away be the 22 sack player he was two years ago, but he’ll still be a handful for Donovan Smith and Demar Dotson.

The Bucs best hope at blocking Houston is frequently using tightends to chip him and disrupt his attack; even just a bit of extra time can make the difference and buy Jameis Winston enough time to get a throw off. This will be made significantly easier if Luke Stocker is able to play. Stocker can block on the line or in the back field and is particularly valuable in games like this one.

After injuring an ankle last week Stocker was questionable for this week but practiced on Thursday.

If they’re healthy enough to do so, we could potentially see the Bucs use six offensive linemen a bit more often, but that probably would be something done as a last resort.

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