The New York Giants received some good news on Saturday morning, as their key pass-rusher is expected to be back on the field for their monumental divisional-round clash against the Philadelphia Eagles on Saturday night.
Despite being listed as questionable during the week with a quadriceps injury, ESPN insider Jeremy Fowler reported on Saturday morning that Azeez Ojulari is expected to play in the team’s divisional-round playoff game.
After a strong rookie year, this season has been extremely frustrating for Ojulari. The 22-year-old has dealt with ankle and calf injuries that limited him to just seven games. However, the hope was that he would be able to make up for that lost time in the team’s wild-card game against the Minnesota Vikings.
Unfortunately, the injury bug bit him again early in the New York Giants playoff matchup last week, and he wasn’t able to make an impact on the game. Fortunately, Big Blue was able to secure a win nonetheless. However, they will need all hands on deck for a difficult test against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Azeez Ojulari’s importance to New York Giants pass rush
While Ojulari was behind Pro Bowler Dexter Lawrence on the season’s stat sheet for sacks, his 5.5 sacks are still impressive considering the fact that he played in only seven games. He posted eight in 17 games last season, which means the Georgia star was on pace to blow past his previous best.
The New York Giants have some solid talent on defense. However, they are far from a finished product in the first season for new head coach Brian Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen. The Giants finished near the bottom in takeaways and were in the middle of the pack in sacks. They will need to be at full strength to be effective against an elite Eagles squad.
Philadelphia has a legitimate MVP candidate in quarterback Jalen Hurts, who is a serious threat with his arm and legs. If the Giants are to have any chance of advancing to the NFC Championship Game, they need Ojulari on the field, even if he is not 100%.
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