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Detroit Lions' James Houston makes return from fractured fibula for NFC title game
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- Detroit Lions' James Houston makes return from fractured fibula for NFC title game
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — The Detroit Lions are getting a boost for their pass rush just in time for Sunday's NFC championship game against the San Francisco 49ers .
Outside linebacker James Houston is active for today's game for the first time since he fractured his fibula in a Week 2 loss to the Seattle Seahawks .
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Houston had eight sacks in seven games last season after starting the year on practice squad. He was ticketed for a prominent pass rush role this season before injured his leg on a special teams play.
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The Lions finished 22nd in sack rate in the regular season and had one player ( Aidan Hutchinson ) with more than five sacks. Hutchinson has eight sacks in the Lions' past four games, including three in playoff wins over the Los Angeles Rams and Tampa Bay Buccaneers .
The 49ers allowed 34 sacks in the regular season, tied for sixth-fewest in the NFL .
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Left guard Jonah Jackson (knee), return man Kalif Raymond (knee), safety Tracy Walker, quarterback Hendon Hooker , outside linebacker Charles Harris, defensive tackle Brodric Martin and cornerback Steven Gilmore are inactive for the Lions.
Hooker is the Lions' emergency third quarterback.
Contact Dave Birkett at dbirkett@freepress.com . Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Lions' James Houston active for NFC title game vs. 49ers
