6 former Ravens debuted with their new teams in Week 1. How did they perform?
OLB Justin Houston - Carolina Panthers
Houston, 34, signed a one-year deal with the Carolina Panthers this offseason and coincidentally he faced off against his former teammate Calais Campbell in a head-to-head Week 1 matchup. Houston showcased his pass-rushing prowess with 9.5 sacks in the 2022 season for the Ravens, despite starting only one game and playing 44 percent of snaps.
With 111.5 career sacks and numerous accolades, including four Pro Bowl selections, Houston is expected to bolster the Panthers' pass rush and help some of the younger players hone their game leading by example.
It's week one, but my ire for Jake knows no rest for the weary. Art was working to get Pitts going and he was open quite often. This wasn't a Mariota type of day, full of overthrows. This was the OL just failing. Justin Houston just moves Jake like it's nothing. Nothing 9 can do. pic.twitter.com/Lsx4aQlspt
— King's Landing (@___theKing___) September 12, 2023
Houston turned out to be his usual menace from the get-go with the Panthers, causing havoc and wrecking opposing offensive linemen left and right. He only appeared in 26 plays on Sunday but he went on to earn a ridiculous 72.8 PFF tackling grade (he had one tackle) while putting up a respectable 66.6 overall defensive grade.
The veteran rusher completed one tackle while also adding a QB-hurry to his Week 1 statline, enough for Carolina to start licking their chops about what Houston will provide to the team going forward.