Bobby Okereke deserved better.
He deserved a win.
The Giants’ inside linebacker played like he was straight out of “Everything Everywhere All at Once” during the team’s Week 6 loss to the Bills on Sunday.
A case can be made Okereke, who was the Giants’ most expensive free-agent addition this past offseason after signing a four-year, $40 million deal, delivered the best performance the Giants have seen at the position in over a decade.
Playing every single defensive snap, Okereke recorded 11 total tackles, eight solo tackles and two tackles for loss in Sunday’s loss, all team highs.
He helped force two turnovers, punching the ball out of Bills receiver Gabe Davis’ hands in the first quarter before Micah McFadden recovered it, helping give the Giants’ offense great field position to subsequently kick a field goal and take a 3-0 lead.
Later in the second quarter, Okereke deflected a pass intended for Dawson Knox, and McFadden was right there once more to intercept it.
It again set the Giants up in strong field position before they disastrously let the clock run down from the 1-yard line to end the first half.
Okereke shined in coverage as well.
He was targeted five times, according to Pro Football Focus, and recorded two pass breakups while allowing just two catches for 11 yards.
When targeting Okereke, Bills superstar quarterback Josh Allen owned a paltry 47.9 passer rating.
In total, PFF gave Okereke an elite 90.8 overall grade for the game.
“I think [Okereke] has done a great job of getting the ball and getting hands on the ball,” Giants head coach Brian Daboll said Monday. “A bunch of those turnovers are a result of his play along with the rush that goes along with it but seeing the quarterback, getting hands on the ball.”
After somewhat of a slow start to the season, Okereke has emerged as the defensive leader the Giants need in recent weeks.
It helped spark the defense’s best showing as a whole this season, and kept a depleted offense without its top players within punching distance against one of the NFL’s best.
He’s worn the green-dot helmet the entire season, relaying the play calls from defensive coordinator Wink Martindale to the rest of his teammates.
But he’s recently started to assert himself, becoming more vocal.
And the more comfortable Okereke has become in Martindale’s scheme, the more confident he’s played.
Martindale noticed Okereke’s evolution, and saw his breakout performance coming.
“I just think that he is seeing things better as the middle linebacker,” Martindale said last week before Sunday’s loss. “He’s put in the extra work. He’s doubled down on playing well, and doing what he has to do to play well. I love his leadership, his communication skills. He’s really on the cusp of starting to really take off. And he’s been good anyway. I’m just saying he’s playing better. You’re seeing more plays; you’re seeing him coming downhill and hitting people down in the red zone and things like that. It’s really starting to show out.”
The Giants have lacked a stud inside linebacker since Antonio Pierce retired in 2009, with a rotating group of NFL hangers-on filling the void since.
Okereke has helped galvanize the position as a whole, as McFadden, a fellow inside linebacker, has seen dramatic improvement in recent weeks as well.
Beyond the fumble recovery and interception, McFadden recorded seven total tackles, which was second-most on the team behind Okereke, three solo tackles and a pass breakup against the Bills.
He earned a stout 87.9 overall grade from PFF, by far his highest of the season.
Finally, the Giants seem to have an advantage in the middle of their defense.
“They’ve done a good job,” Daboll said. “They’ve improved so we’re going to need to continue to do that.”