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The Detroit Lions got embarrassed by the New England Patriots two weeks ago before their bye week. The Lions lost many of their defensive backs during the game. One Lions defensive back who didn't play in the game was Amani Oruwariye.
Oruwariye was one of the lone standouts on the team's defense last season. He played 14 games before a thumb injury ended his season. At the time of his injury, the Lions corner had 11 passes defended and six interceptions.
This season, however, things haven't followed that same script. The 26-year-old has struggled out of the gate in 2022. His worst performance may have been Week 3 against the Minnesota Vikings when he committed six penalties.
Ultimately, the deciding factor in benching Oruwariye came down to contributions elsewhere. The 26-year-old Penn State product doesn't contribute on special teams, like other corners on the Lions.
Oruwariye spoke to the media on Wednesday ahead of the Lions Week 7 matchup against the Dallas Cowboys. He said the benching was much needed in retrospect.
“This isn’t the end for me at all,” Oruwariye said Wednesday. “Just a bump in the road, just adversity, just testing me, making me remind myself you can’t take any day for granted and that was good. I needed that reflection.”
It isn't clear whether the Lions will start Oruwariye against the Cowboys. The Lions expect Jerry Jacobs to be back after tearing his ACL last December. Will Harris started at corner in Week 5 but picked up an injury. He took part in practice Wednesday, albeit on a limited basis.
Regardless of his status, Oruwariye hopes he'll have another shot. He's focused on preparing for whatever role he's given for the game against the Cowboys.
“I think everyone always has some kind of reflection in their career and I think this has been mine up to this point, at least in the NFL,” Oruwariye said. “I’m just trying to control what I can control and right now, that’s just preparing for Dallas.”
