New York Giants nose tackle Dexter Lawrence, one of the NFL’s best players on one of the NFL’s worst teams, is looking forward to satisfying his palate this weekend in Munich.
The Giants will face the Carolina Panthers at Allianz Arena, the home of FC Bayern Munich, on Sunday and Lawrence will seek to get back on track against the NFL’s 30th-ranked offense.
Still, Lawrence is not taking the struggling Panthers lightly.
“They’re a pro team. They’re all here for a reason,” Lawrence said of the 2-7 Panthers. “They could be going through the same struggles that we go through. Whoever you play, you’ve got to take it seriously. You can get beat on any day.”
Lawrence has 9.0 sacks this season, second in the NFL behind Cincinnati’s Trey Hendrickson (11.0), and is hungry after the Giants were held sack-less against Washington last week.
He now faces last year’s top overall draft pick in quarterback Bryce Young, a player who has been slow to acclimate to the pro game but is not taking him for granted.
“He’s a little savvy guy,” Lawrence said of the former Heisman Trophy winner. “We’ve got to make sure we don’t give him a lot of space so he can make great passes. The running backs are running very hard. I know one of them just got an extension. Congrats. The O-line are big guys and like to get physical, so I’m excited for the matchup.”
Lawrence is also excited to sample the culinary fare that will abound in Munich. The 340-plus pounder does not get short-changed during meals and will be partaking in the local specialties.
“Probably just eating, trying some different foods,” Lawrence said when asked about his plans when the team gets to Germany. “I’m big into food. So, I’ll do some research when I get on the plane to see where I can go eat.”
He won’t be disappointed — on or off the field.