Getty Jeff Okudah during a Lions game against Arizona.
Jeff Okudah struggled in his debut during the 2021 season after much more was expected of him, and frustrated Detroit Lions fans have seen enough of him so far as part of a disappointing season opener.
As Okudah scuffled in the first game of the year, frustrated Detroit fans took to Twitter to hit Okudah hard for struggling in a major way.
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After allowing a long touchdown by Deebo Samuel in the second half, Lions fans turned their frustration to Okudah and started hammering away at the young cornerback.
One fan thinks the Lions missed badly on the evaluation, and thinks that Okudah doesn’t belong in the league whatsoever.
Okudah doesn’t belong in the league. How everyone missed so badly on his eval is still a mystery
Some are wondering if Okudah could be cut, even though that doesn’t seem to be part of the plan for the team moving forward right now.
Sometimes, all you can offer is a simple commentary of disbelief at a player’s play much like this one.
My God Jeff Okudah, my God.
Finally, one fan made perhaps the boldest claim of all, saying Okudah is a “generational bust.” Perhaps it’s a bit early for that rhetoric, but the frustration is very palpable.
Okudah a generational bust omg
Obviously, Okudah is going to have a long way to go in order to make up with Lions fans after this performance in Week 1. It wasn’t a great start to what figured to be a pivotal 2021 season.
Jeff Okudah Gets Lectured By Aubrey Pleasant During Game
There isn’t a single player in the group in the team’s defensive backfield who isn’t struggling, and like he did most of 2020, Okudah is taking the brunt of the blame, while everyone has seemed to play a unique role in what took place in the game.
Early on in the game against the 49ers, the Lions had just allowed a big touchdown drive. On the sidelines, Fox Sports cameras captured a heated coaching moment between defensive backs coach Aubrey Pleasant and Okudah. Multiple times, Pleasant looked to mouth the words “do your job” to Okudah during the exchange.
Here’s a look at the moment which was captured by Scott Warheit on Twitter and shared by plenty of others:
It isn’t a surprise to see Okudah under fire given the way he struggled in 2020 in his rookie year. There’s been plenty of questions about Okudah as a player, so seeing how he responds to this will be huge in his career. Thus far, it hasn’t been good news for the Detroit secondary, as Jimmy Garoppolo has collected 171 yards and counting through the air during the game.
Suffice it to say this isn’t the kind of start the lions or Okudah wanted for 2021, but it is a teachable moment, indeed.
Okudah’s Rookie Stats and Highlights
The rookie season wasn’t phenomenal statistically for Okudah, who only put up 47 tackles, 2 passes defended and 1 interception in 2020. The cornerback fought injury most of his rookie season and was never completely right, and also may have never felt comfortable with the coaching he was being given by Matt Patricia and company. As a result, Okudah struggled as a rookie and was often picked on by the opposition leading to some rough days on the field like he experienced early in the season in Green Bay. The stats didn’t show a player primed to make a huge impact, but it’s more than possible that Okudah can turn this around quickly this season and have a much better showing. If he could be around 80 tackles and have closer to 5 interceptions in 2021, that would have to be seen as some huge strides forward and a major positive.
Here’s a look at some of his work last season:
Okudah has some talent to rely on so the hope is that he can continue to show what made him a top pick and develop quicker this coming year. So far, that’s off to a bumpy start and the fans know it.
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Jeff Okudah Slammed by Lions Fans on Internet: ‘Generational Bust’