The Lions knocked off the Los Angeles Rams in overtime in Week 1 and part of that was due to their pass rush. Detroit pressured Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford 14 times, per NFL Next Gen Stats and sacked him twice. A key part of that pass rush? Interior defensive tackle Levi Onwuzurike.
Per PFF, Onwuzurike was tied with six other players for second among interior defensive linemen with two quarterback pressures. The only player that had more in Week 1 was Seahawks defensive tackle Leonard Williams with five.
In addition, Onwuzurike was tied for fourth (with Washington’s Daron Payne) at the position with five total quarterback pressured generated. Three players tied for the lead with six — Williams, the Giants’ Dexter Lawrence and the Chiefs’ Chris Jones.
Among all @NFL interior D-linemen in Week 1, @Lions DL @LeviOnw ranked (per @PFF):
– t-2nd in QB hits (two)
– t-4th in total pressures generated (five)Among all interior D-linemen with at least 15 pass-rushing snaps, he ranked 4th in pass-rush productivity.#OnePride pic.twitter.com/NmSyNksSUh
— Detroit Lions PR (@LionsPR) September 10, 2024
Between Onwuzurike, Aidan Hutchinson Alim McNeill and and even potentially Marcus Davenport, the Lions are building a strong force up front to get after opposing quarterbacks. The Rams’ offensive line is a good unit, so that makes this performance even more impressive for Onwuzurike. Next week, it’s another playoff rematch against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and their improved offensive line as they look to cool down the hot start for Bucs quarterback Baker Mayfield.