Unfortunately for Brian Daboll and the NY Giants, injuries continue to have a negative impact on this team. On Monday night, we know that both Saquon Barkley and Andrew Thomas will not be able to suit up due to a high-ankle sprain and hamstring injury, respectively.
What about third-year pass-rusher Azeez Ojulari? Similar to Thomas, Ojulari has missed the past two weeks due to an injured hamstring. However, Ojulari has been able to get back on the practice field and he's expected to be a full go for Monday Night Football. This is massive for Wink Martindale and his defense.
#Giants notes: The pass rush should improve with Azeez Ojulari back but protecting Daniel Jones just got harder with Andrew Thomas out.
— Ryan Dunleavy (@rydunleavy) October 1, 2023
How the DT rotation is figured out + fines for #nygiants and #49ers (including one for Trent Williams' unseen punch)https://t.co/QrDY2DvG5V
Azeez Ojulari could play a big role in a Giants upset vs. Seattle
When Ojulari is healthy, he has proven to be a fantastic player for Coach Dabes. However, it just feels like he's injured all the time. Last year, Ojulari was only able to play in seven games, but he still posted 5.5 sacks. Imagine what he would have been able to get done in a full campaign?
Ojulari has been sidelined since the Week 1 embarrassment against the Dallas Cowboys. On the year, the Giants pass-rush has only two sacks to its name. Khalil Mack tripled that total on Sunday for the Chargers against the Raiders.
The hope was that Kayvon Thibodeaux and Ojulari would be a dynamic duo to open the year, but that hasn't been the case. Against the Seahawks on Monday, these two must be at the top of their game to make life difficult for Smith.
Seattle's passing game is strong, with Smith having DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, Jaxon Smith-Njigba and others to throw to. The longer he has in the pocket, the more of a challenge it will be for the Big Blue secondary to keep things close. Enter Kayvon and Azeez. Look for those two to live up to the hype in primetime.