Photo: Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions
Canadian offensive lineman Giovanni Manu was thrust into the starting lineup with the Detroit Lions on Sunday when they visited the Cincinnati Bengals and his performance was mixed, according to head coach Dan Campbell.
“(Manu was) up and down. I thought that he did some good things in the run game, I thought there were some play passes he did a good job, and there were some that weren’t good and he’ll learn from. He’s gotta learn from them and that’s what you look forward to,” Campbell told the media.
“You don’t want to have a couple of plays where your quarterback gets hit but at the same token, that’s probably the best way to learn, too, because you don’t want that to happen again and it’s like, ‘Man, what do I need to hone up? What can I need to do better? How can I handle this?’ Look, that’s his first real taste of real football in the NFL — not preseason, it’s real — so you just grow from it. It’s good experience.”
The six-foot-seven, 345-pound blocker started at left tackle and allowed two sacks on 28 pass-blocking snaps, which earned him a score of 42.2 from Pro Football Focus.
“There’s a standard in our room and there’s a standard that I’m holding myself, and that’s just not the standard,” said Manu. “The two sacks I gave up, the first one I didn’t hear the kill on the play, and then the second one, I was too aggressive on the run sell.”
The 24-year-old was a fourth-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft out of the University of British Columbia, making Manu the first U Sports player to be drafted by an NFL team since David Onyemata was selected out the University of Manitoba in 2016. Manu spent his entire rookie season in a reserve role before entering the lineup this year.
The native of Nukuʻalofa, Tonga, who moved to Pitt Meadows, B.C. at the age of eleven, indicated that veteran left tackle Taylor Decker, who was unable to play due to a shoulder injury, helped him prepare throughout the week. Manu also found the moments leading into the game emotional as he reflected on his journey to the NFL.
“When I stepped out there, it was definitely a moment to take in. What was great was everyone on the sideline were supporting me,” he said. “I definitely teared up a bit just because of my journey. I’d never think that I’d start or be in the NFL, just where I came from and how far I came.”
It was a strong performance for the Lions overall as they beat the injury-riddled Bengals by a score of 37-24 at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati.
Franchise quarterback Jared Goff completed 19-of-23 pass attempts for 258 yards and three touchdowns, while Amik Robertson, Kerby Joseph, and Alex Anzalone each recorded interceptions. David Montgomery, who rushed for 65 yards, also threw a touchdown pass to tight end Brock Wright on a trick play.
The Detroit Lions (4-1) will visit the Kansas City Chiefs (2-2) on Sunday, October 12 with kickoff slated for 8:20 p.m. EDT.