Detroit Lions vs New York Giants: 5 Players To Watch
If the Giants are going defeat the Lions, putting pressure on the injured Stafford would be a good start. One player that could get that done is Romeo Okwara.
Okwara was tasked with replacing Jason Pierre-Paul in the lineup as Pierre-Paul is sidelined after undergoing sports hernia surgery. After a slow start against the Cowboys, Okwara showcased the skill that caught the Giants attention when they signed him as an undrafted free agent out of Notre Dame.
Okwara finished the game against the Cowboys with eight tackles, one sack, the first of his career, and one pass defended. Okwara was a factor in the run game and was able to generate pressure, enabling Steve Spagnuolo to drop extra players into coverage and not need to blitz. When you can get pressure on a quarterback without bringing extra players it opens up a lot of things for a defensive coordinator to do.
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Can Okwara duplicate the performance he had against the Cowboys against the Lions? It would be a huge boon for the Giants success as he could. They have struggled to find consistent production outside of Pierre-Paul and Olivier Vernon all season. If Okwara can emerge as another capable pass rusher the Giants defense should continue to be a force throughout the remainder of the season.