The Cowboys started Thursday night’s game against the Giants with Andrew Booth at cornerback across from Trevon Diggs, but they opted to make a change at halftime.
With Da’Ron Bland and Caelen Carson sidelined by injuries, their option was practice squad elevation Amani Oruwariye. The ball has a way of finding such players in games and the Giants went in Oruwariye’s direction often in the second half of the game.
Oruwariye made three tackles, including a tackle for loss on Malik Nabers that helped force a field goal, and knocked away a pass before Giants quarterback Daniel Jones looked his way again in the final seconds. Jones threw a deep ball to wide receiver Jalin Hyatt, but it never got there because Oruwariye leapt high enough to pluck it out of the air and seal a 20-15 Dallas win.
“Oh, I knew I was going to get targeted,” Oruwariye said, via the team’s website. “If they have Diggs on the other side, I knew I was going to get my fair share of work. Like I said, I was trying to get myself mentally ready and kind of knock off the rust, which I felt like I did. And then I got in my groove, felt comfortable out there and went on from there.”
The Cowboys didn’t have enough players step up in the two losses they picked up heading into Thursday night, but Oruwariye rose to the occasion and that helped make for a happier flight home to Dallas.
