Ravens edge rusher Justin Houston said after Monday night’s win over the Saints that he was thinking about retiring this offseason before deciding on a vacation with his wife that he was “going to be all in this season.”
That decision has worked out well for Houston and the Ravens. Houston missed three games with a groin injury before returning in Week Seven. He had two sacks in a win over the Browns that week and then two more in a win over the Buccaneers in Tampa last Thursday.
Houston kept things rolling on Monday night. He had 2.5 sacks and an interception of Saints quarterback Andy Dalton to help lead the Ravens to a 27-13 win. He also has fellow pass rusher Odafe Oweh looking to tap into the same source of strength that his older teammate has found this season.
“It’s just inspiring to be in the room with a guy like that,” Oweh said, via the team’s website. “It was impressive to see. He told me this summer when he was working out in Georgia that he was really tapped in, in terms of this year and what he really wanted for himself. You see it obviously. I don’t know what it is, but I’m trying to get whatever he’s got.”
The Ravens have a bye in Week 10, so they’ll put their three-game winning streak and Houston’s hot streak on hold until they face the Panthers in Week 11.