Julian Okwara wants to play more and help Lions pass rush

As the Lions pass rush has gone scarce over the last few weeks, and Julian Okwara is ready to play more.

The Detroit Lions defense has gone without a sack in back-to-back games, and their only sack in their last three came from Julian Okwara against the Rams in Week 7. The last time they had more than two sacks in a game was Week 3 against the Baltimore Ravens, which is also the last full game Romeo Okwara played before suffering a torn Achilles in Week 4.

Charles Harris had a four-game sack streak at one point this season, but he has gotten more attention over the last few weeks and has gone sackless in four straight games now. Trey Flowers hasn’t missed a game since Week 4, but he has been hampered by a knee injury.

Meanwhile, Julian Okwara picked up his first career sack in Week 6, followed by the aforementioned sack in Week 7. Last week agains the Steelers, he picked up his first career interception.

Julian Okwara is itching to play more

Okwara has played more than 40 percent of the Lions’ defensive snaps in four straight games, after seeing 30 percent or less of the snaps in his first four games this season. Calls for him to play more after the Week 9 bye have gradually been heeded in terms of raw snap count.

But Okwara is ready for more, as he told reporters on Thursday in response to a question if he’s ready for more work with Flowers possibly set to miss Sunday’s game against the Cleveland Browns after missing practice so far this week.

"Oh, yeah,” he said. “I been ready. I’m begging for more reps.”I’m ready for whatever workload we got,” he said. “I think they got a lot of confidence in the players, whatever they have to put on (our) plate, so I’m ready for it. I’m a young guy. I’m ready to show whatever I can do and get on the field as much as I can.”"

The Lions have just 14 sacks this season, which is tied for the league-low. By comparison Browns defensive end Myles Garrett, who they’ll see on Sunday, has a league-leading 13 sacks by himself. Only the Chicago Bears (33) have allowed more sacks Cleveland has this season (30), so there’s an opportunity for Detroit’s pass rush to get going again. Playing Okwara more, whether Flowers is able to play or not, would only help.