By Sunday 
Detroit Lions fans have seen this movie before—watching a once-promising player leave the Motor City only to shine somewhere else. This time, the star of the sequel is James Houston.
The linebacker, a sixth-round steal in 2022, had Lions fans buzzing as a rookie when he tallied eight sacks in just seven games. “Diamond in the rough” was the phrase thrown around. But like too many Detroit fairy tales, the sparkle faded. The next two seasons brought inconsistency, and eventually Houston was waived.
Fast forward to 2025, and now Lions fans are asking themselves: Did we really just hand Dallas a pass rusher for the price of a Gatorade and a bag of footballs? The regret is real, and it’s hitting harder with every Cowboys highlight reel.
On Sunday night, Houston wrecked the Packers’ game plan with a strip sack on Jordan Love that flipped momentum. Dallas scored immediately afterward, sending Cowboys fans into a frenzy while Detroit fans buried their faces in their hands.
Houston is proving his worth quickly in Dallas. With limited snaps, he’s racking up tackles for loss, sacks, and even forced fumbles. In Week 4, Pro Football Focus graded him as the Cowboys’ top defensive player with an 89.3 overall grade. That’s not just “good for a waiver pickup”—that’s flat-out elite.
Meanwhile in Detroit, fans are left staring at their roster wondering what went wrong. Houston is leading Dallas in sacks, while Lions fans are stuck with a mix of what ifs and a rising sense of déjà vu. It’s the classic Detroit dilemma: watch someone struggle in Honolulu blue, then thrive the second they leave Ford Field.
The real kicker? Houston and the Cowboys roll into Detroit in Week 14. If he sacks Jared Goff that night, don’t be surprised if the entire stadium groans in unison.
For now, Lions fans can only shake their heads, scroll through highlights of Houston in a star-emblazoned helmet, and wonder if their front office made yet another trade that looks suspiciously like… a bag of footballs—regret included, free of charge.
Want me to also add a mock “fan reactions” section at the end (like fake tweets/posts) for extra humor and relatability