Notebook: Dexter Lawrence still ‘scratching’ the surface

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – Dexter Lawrence creates a highlight reel in every Giant game, but one play in their victory in Seattle last week captures what a dominant and destructive force he has become on the defensive line.

With 9:47 remaining in the fourth quarter and the Giants leading, 23-13, the Seahawks faced a third-and-sixth from their own 43-yard line. Lawrence got into his three-point stance in the gap between right tackle Stone Forsythe and guard Christian Haynes. At the snap, he bull-rushed Haynes, contacting him at the 40 and pushing him all the back to the 33, where he shoved the overmatched lineman aside and teamed with Kayvon Thibodeaux for a 10-yard sack of Geno Smith.

“It’s fun to watch, it’s fun to see again (on tape),” defensive coordinator Shane Bowen said today. “Being able to create those one-on-one matchups with him is always going to be a challenge for us as a staff because teams are going to find a way to get four hands on him as much as they can. They’re seeing that same clip.”

Lawrence finished the game with team-high totals of 3.0 sacks and four quarterback hits. He is the first Giants defender with three sacks in a game since Thibodeaux on Oct. 29, 2023, against the Jets, and the first defensive lineman to do it since Leonard Williams vs. Dallas on Jan. 3, 2021.

A Pro Bowler each of the previous two seasons, Lawrence is one of the NFL’s most talented defensive players, one who is included in every conversation about the best interior linemen. This week, he made a chilling statement for future Giants opponents, beginning with Cincinnati Bengals Sunday night in MetLife Stadium.

“I don’t think I’ve scratched where I can be,” Lawrence said. “I left some plays out there Sunday that I want back. Each week, I’ve just got to keep proving myself right and go to get it.”

No one prevented him from doing that in the first five weeks of the season. The Giants lead the NFL with 22 sacks and Lawrence is in a three-way tie for second in the league with 6.0 sacks, just a half-sack behind league leader Aidan Hutchinson of Detroit. He is the only interior lineman in the foursome. Lawrence is also 3.0 sacks ahead of his nearest teammates, safety Jason Pinnock. His 10 quarterback hits are three more than Thibodeaux’s total, which is second on the team. Lawrence is also a terrific run defender who would have more than 16 tackles if opponents weren’t so focused on avoiding him.

“He’s a special individual,” Bowen said. “The knowledge of the game, the technique he plays with and then all the ultimate pro off the field and how he approaches everything. He’s everything you want in a player and then to be able to go out there and see the impact he makes on Sunday.”

Lawrence can influence the game even when he’s not around the ball. He often commands two and sometimes three blockers, which leaves fewer opponents against his teammates.

“Watching tape, it shows up (that I deal with) pretty good double teams and triple teams,” Lawrence said. “I embrace it, and I tell them to double team me honestly (laughs). It’s my world and I’m just going through it and each week I’m getting better at going through it.”

“He’s been doubled quite a bit of his career,” coach Brian Daboll said. “We’ve talked about him. He’s explosive, strong. He’s got good length, power. He’s smart. Again, that’s some of the things that he’s going to have to do is be able to fight through those double teams, which he has. It’s not an easy thing. I mean, there was times last week where there were three guys on him. He understands that. When he gets his opportunities, he’s got to make them go. Very thankful that he’s on our football team.”

Bowen and the defensive coaches try to get Lawrence in singular matchups by moving him around. His listed position is nose tackle, which is where he most often lines up. But as he was on the play in which he steamrolled Haynes, Lawrence is taking his stance more often on the outside.

“I’ve been moving around more this year,” Lawrence said. “That’s been the goal for the year. To try to help me get away from some doubles here and there and create some unbalances on the offensive line.”

Bowen said the plan is more detailed than that.

“I think part of it is moving him around, part of it is moving the other pieces around,” he said. “Like showing him some different looks where they have to hopefully honor some numbers at times. It’s a combination of things and even at times putting him in position where he’s a decoy, where we can use it to our advantage that way. And then also those other guys, it’s your time to win your one-on-ones. We have to make sure we’re taking advantage, because that helps alleviate some of that. We got another guy next to him who’s winning consistently, they might have concerns about leaving him one-on-one.

Lawrence is a six-year veteran who joins quarterback Daniel Jones and wide receiver Darius Slayton – fellow members of the 2019 draft class – as the team’s longest-tenured players. This is his third season as a team captain. Lawrence is undoubtedly the most vocal of this season’s five captains, one who is quick to speak to small groups or the entire team if he is dissatisfied with something that happened in a game or practice.

“I think he’s the ultimate leader for this team,” said linebacker Bobby Okereke, a two-year captain. “Especially this defense, just to see his consistent performance and output week in and week out, regardless of situation, regardless of double teams, regardless of play count.

“He’s a guy who’s smart, tough, dependable, the pure definition of it. I think it’s a great example for me, a great example for other guys.”

Lawrence seldom looks at statistics during the season and he’s not about to start now, even though both he and the team are posting gaudy numbers. He follows his coaches’ directive and focuses only on the next game.

“I don’t really see a lot of stuff until the end of the season, the accomplishments,” Lawrence said “But right now, I’ve just got my head down and grinding. And that’s my message to everybody else. You’re going to be able to reap your benefits at the end. Right now, just grind each week. Right now, we’ve got Cincinnati. We’ve got to go create some more disruption.”

On the Giants defense, that starts with Dexter Lawrence.