Key Matchup to Watch in 49ers-Lions: OLB Romeo Okwara vs. RT Mike McGlinchey

Read more on the key matchup to watch in the Detroit Lions' regular season opener against the San Francisco 49ers.

Dan Campbell's debut as Detroit Lions head coach comes Sunday afternoon (1 p.m. EST) against Kyle Shanahan and the San Francisco 49ers. 

The Lions will need to do a variety of things right in order to pull off the victory at Ford Field, including getting consistent pressure on 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. 

Key to that effort will be Detroit outside linebacker Romeo Okwara, who led the team in sacks a season ago. 

Okwara, who re-signed with the organization over the offseason, enters the 2021 campaign, coming off a career-best season for himself. He recorded career-high marks in sacks (10), tackles for loss (11), QB hits (18) and forced fumbles (three). 

In the Lions' Week 1 matchup against the 49ers, the 26-year-old will get to go up against San Francisco right tackle Mike McGlinchey. 

Kyle Terada, USA TODAY Sports

Okwara should thrive when given the chance to square off with McGlinchey, who is known to be a much worse pass blocker than run blocker. 

McGlinchey earned a career-high 91.3 run-blocking grade from Pro Football Focus last season, while his pass-blocking grade hit a career-low mark of 58.3. Additionally, he was ranked No. 14 on PFF's list of offensive tackles for the 2021 season.

As PFF's Anthony Treash writes, "McGlinchey ranks this high only because of his elite performance in the run game. He underperformed in pass protection in 2020, as has been the case early in his NFL career. A tackle like him can get away with such flaws in Kyle Shanahan's offense, though.

McGlinchey finished second to only teammate Trent Williams in run-blocking grade among tackles in 2020 (91.3). He finished in the top 10 in both positively and negatively graded run-block rate, something only three other tackles accomplished last year. At the same time, though, McGlinchey ranked fifth-to-last in true pass set grade."

Okwara is quicker than the 26-year-old McGlinchey, and should be able to get around him with relative ease throughout the afternoon. 

So, if Garoppolo and the 49ers become pass reliant at any point Sunday, it'll work in favor of Detroit's biggest pass-rushing threat in Okwara ... at least when he's going head-to-head with McGlinchey. 

I expect Okwara to start off 2021 on a solid note and to register a sack in the Lions' season opener.

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