This is the kind of game that should give NY Giants pass-rusher Azeez Ojulari a ton of confidence. The fourth-year outside linebacker had an unreal rookie season, but the past two years have been filled with injury adversity. After a bit of a slow start in 2024 too, things weren't looking great for him.
That all changed in Week 3, though. Ojulari had a breakout performance for the Giants, coming up huge in the 21-15 victory for Brian Daboll and Co. In the action, No. 51 posted two total tackles, one sack and a fumble recovery. Ojulari was on the field for 42 percent of the defensive snaps, making an impact whenever he was out there.
As you might have been able to guess, Ojulari was thrilled after the final whistle. He was of course happy with how he performed, but he hyped up the play of the defense as a whole, doing so in pretty hilarious fashion:
"11 men out there trying to play our balls off, man"
— Giants Videos (@SNYGiants) September 22, 2024
Azeez Ojulari talks about the Giants defense's late stop and overall performance in their win over the Browns: pic.twitter.com/ohtUZ56I26
Azeez Ojulari was thrilled after the Giants' 21-15 win over the Browns
"Yeah, you know, there were big-time plays from Dex (Dexter Lawrence), all of us. Eleven men out there trying to play our balls off."Azeez Ojulari
The Giants defense, particularly the guys up front, played their hearts out and they made the game a nightmare for Deshaun Watson. On the day, the G-Men finished with a mind-blowing eight sacks. Everyone was in on things, including Ojulari.
With so much pressure being put on Watson, it led to some forced throws. Sure, he finished with two touchdown passes to Amari Cooper, but things were far from smooth for the talented signal-caller. You've got to give credit to defensive coordinator Shane Bowen for coming up with the perfect plan to contain Cleveland's offense.
As for Ojulari, this victory really had to mean a ton to him. Last season, he posted a career low 2.5 sacks after appearing in only 11 games. With Brian Burns being brought in via the blockbuster trade with the Panthers, it was looking like Ojulari would be a bit of a forgotten man for Big Blue. That wasn't the case against the Browns, as he indeed looked fantastic.