If you ever needed a rock solid reason to keep Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford from ever appearing a preseason game again, let it be this one: L.A. allowed a sack on Saturday to a player who was making his football debut.
Not his NFL debut. His football game debut.
Chargers defensive tackle C.J. Okoye, a product of the NFL’s International Player Pathway program, had never played in an organized football game in his life. Okoye, whose given name is Basil, was one of six Nigerian players selected by NFL teams in this year’s class of international players and sacked quarterback Stetson Bennett in Saturday’s 34-17 win over the Rams.