Justin Houston: How much does a pass rush affect winning?

Jan 23, 2015; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Tamba Hall (91) and linebacker Justin Houston (50) pose during team photos for the 2015 Pro Bowl at The Arizona Biltmore. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

So yes, re-signing Justin Houston was a good move. Yes, he makes the team better by having him hear. Yes, I like KC’s chances of making the playoffs better with Houston on the team than without him. However, if the Chiefs want to make the playoffs it is going to take more than an elite pass rush led by guys like Houston and Tamba Hali to get the job done. I realize that this just confirms what many of you already knew, but in the slowly ticking minutes leading up to the start of training camp I thought it might be interesting to put some hard numbers behind this belief.

I’m still glad they locked up Houston long term, but definitely understand that as training camp gets underway the Chiefs will need improvements in other areas (cough..offensive line..cough) in order to overtake Denver for the division crown and guarantee themselves a spot in the playoffs this season.

So what do you think Addicts? Do these numbers change your opinion on the Justin Houston contract at all? Did these numbers just support what you already believed or were you surprised by the relatively small impact that a pass rush appears to have on the win column? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.

As always, thanks for reading and GO CHIEFS!!!!!!!!!!