Five Things Learned: Colts-Chiefs (2019, Week 5)

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» HOUSTON’S REVENGE: Justin Houston developed into one of the league’s best pass rushers in his first eight seasons in Kansas City, collecting 78.5 career sacks from 2011 through 2018. But in March, the Chiefs decided to cut ties with Houston, handing him his outright release. The Colts immediately pounced on the opportunity to add that kind of edge presence and leader to their defense, and within a couple weeks had reached a reported two-year deal with Houston to be their new starting defensive end. Houston, a man of relatively few words when speaking to reporters, didn’t let on that he was feeling any sort of added excitement going against his former team this past week, but deep down he couldn’t wait to return to Arrowhead Stadium and show the Chiefs that they had made a mistake in letting him go. First, he registered his second sack of the season, bringing Mahomes down for a loss of eight yards early in the second quarter. But his biggest play of the game really put a dagger in the heart of his former team, which faced a critical 4th and 1 from its own 34-yard line, down 16-10 with about five minutes left. Houston came roaring off the edge to bring down running back Damien Williams for a loss of one, forcing the turnover on downs that would lead to Vinatieri’s final field goal of the night to make it 19-10 and officially putting the game out of reach. “I’d be lying to say there wasn’t (added motivation),” Houston said after the game. “It’s like your old girlfriend. If you get a new girlfriend, you want to show her off. To come here and get a win, it means a lot to me – and to the team as well.”