Ahead of their pivotal matchup against the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday night, the Detroit Lions announced that starting left guard Kayode Awosika was downgraded to out because of a foot injury.
This is the last thing that the Lions wanted to hear, as their offensive line has struggled to stay healthy over the last few weeks. Not to mention, the Cowboys’ defense has played significantly better with their trade deadline additions.
Without Awosika in the starting lineup, the Lions could go with Trystan Colon or rookie Miles Frazier. In the meantime, Awosika’s sudden absence might be a blessing in disguise for Detroit. The veteran lineman has not played well since taking over for an injured Christian Mahogany.
In last week’s loss against the Green Bay Packers, Awosika allowed two pressures and a sack, which led to him posting a 54.9 grade, per Pro Football Focus. His performance against Green Bay was just a continuation of what he’s done since entering the starting lineup in Week 9.
If you’re Lions GM Brad Holmes, the franchise might be better off not bringing Awosika back in the offseason, which isn’t far-fetched based on what he’s done on the field.
Kayode Awosika’s Time in Detroit Is Likely Coming to an Unceremonious End
According to Pro Football Focus, Awosika’s run blocking has not been an issue (69.3 grade) since making his first start in Week 10. However, opposing defenses have been treating the veteran offensive lineman like an orange traffic cone in pass protection.
The 27-year-old offensive lineman has given up 10 pressures and three sacks in 149 pass blocking snaps in the last four games. Awosika’s worst games came against the Philadelphia Eagles and the Green Bay Packers, who have two of the better defensive lines in the NFL.
The Lions likely didn’t envision Awosika’s play to take a nosedive when inserting him into the starting lineup. If anything, they likely thought they had an adequate backup. However, fans are wondering if the Lions should bring in free agent Laken Tomlinson, who was sent packing by the Houston Texans earlier this week.
It's clear that the Lions made a mistake re-signing him to a one-year deal and could easily find his replacement in the draft in the upcoming offseason.
That said, the hope is that Magohany, the Lions’ starting left guard, will return hopefully at some point before the regular season ends, which will put Awosika back on the bench.
Awosika had a chance to change the narrative about himself against Dallas. But now it will open the door for someone else to take over at left guard for the moment, and possibly seal the vet’s fate in the Motor City.