Despite the 2023 campaign effectively being over for the NY Giants, they showed a lot of grit in their Week 11 win over the Commanders. Now, they will look to carry that momentum into a Week 12 showdown against the Patriots.
Saquon Barkley and the rest of the G-Men are taking a liking to playing alongside undrafted rookie quarterback Tommy Devito. DeVito plays with a moxie and fearlessness that has rubbed off on Barkley and Co. as he tries to lead the team to their first set of consecutive wins this season.
These two teams enter Sunday with a combined 5-16 record and are both jostling for a top pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. Here are four bold predictions for what many are labeling as the “Drake Maye Bowl.”
4. Azeez Ojulari records his first sack of 2023
After an electric rookie season in 2021, it has been an injury-riddled last couple of seasons for Azeez Ojulari. Ojulari played all 17 games for the G-Men and recorded 8.5 sacks as a rookie, but hasn’t reached those numbers in the past two seasons combined. He’s played 12 out of 28 possible games over the past two seasons and the injuries are becoming concerning.
However, with Dexter Lawrence being listed as doubtful ahead of Sunday’s clash against the Patriots while he tends to a hamstring injury, someone else will need to step up and help generate pressure alongside Kayvon Thibodeaux.
Ojulari logged a 60-percent snap rate in Week 11, which marks his second-highest snap count of the season. The increased usage could suggest Ojulari is ramping up and nearing full strength, which bodes well for a pass-rushing unit desperately in need of another player to at least try to help fill the void created by Lawrence.
Expect Ojulari to make his presence felt in this game and record his first sack of the 2023 season. The last time Ojulari recorded a sack was Dec. 24, 2022, in Week 16 of last season against the Vikings. The drought ends on Sunday!