EAST RUTHERFORD — The film reviews that follow an NFL victory are usually sessions filled with internal praise and recognition, not without some constructive criticism along the way.
For Dexter Lawrence, there is a completely different goal. He is certainly proud to be an elite player on whom New York Giants can count. However, we find more meaning and satisfaction in this reality:
When the Giants’ opponents turn on the video and begin their preparation, Lawrence wants them to feel with trepidation the challenge of trying to stop what’s coming. It’s not that he doesn’t like what the Giants think of his play.
His main motivation is to make sure the players tasked with blocking him know what they’re up against.
“I don’t want to disappoint anyone,” Lawrence told NorthJersey.com. “If you expect dominance from me, that’s what you’ll get. My job is to give them what they want.”
Lawrence delivers on that promise by putting himself in the NFL Defensive Player of the Year conversation, and not just because of his statistical production, which is more than enough. He has six sacks, which is more than reigning Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett (4) and double the number of Chiefs All-Pro Chris Jones (3).
However, judging the 6-foot-4, 340-pound Lawrence’s impact by numbers alone is a foolish exercise.
Turn on the tape and you’ll see that his quest to be considered the best player at his position in the NFL is undeniable. He’s the best defensive player the Giants have had since Michael Strahan, and that’s no disrespect to Jason Pierre-Paul, Osi Umenyiora and Justin Tuck.
Lawrence is well aware that the perception of him as a footballer has changed over the past couple of years. Still, he’s not satisfied, and with all eyes in the locker room on him, the drive to be the best is greater than ever as the Giants prepare to welcome Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals to MetLife Stadium Sunday evening.
“On the field, it’s about not wasting a moment to get better,” Lawrence told NorthJersey.com. “In this locker room, it’s not wasting a moment with the guys, cutting, laughing. In the film room, it’s not wasting a moment watching something where you can learn and grow. In life, It’s not wasting a moment with the people you care about most. And I think that’s where I’ve always been. That’s why I don’t really see where I am. [into the future] or behind me and what has already happened.”
“Because I’m always in the moment. That’s both a good and a bad trait, but that’s how I live my life.”
Building a Resume for the Next Team
Undrafted rookie Casey Rogers, his Giants teammate, marvels at what he considers the secret to Lawrence’s success. They were drill partners on the defensive line group this summer, and there was a level of expectation that Lawrence demanded of Rogers on the practice field — not verbally, mind you, but with his presence.
Now, with Rogers on the practice squad, Lawrence sets the tone in how he attacks these film sessions: He wants to send a message every time he steps between the lines.
“Dex is building his resume every week for the next team we play,” Rogers told NorthJersey.com. “He knows that if he has a dominant game, the next team will see everything he does, and it’s about mental warfare. They’ll see how dominant he was against the Seahawks, hopefully it will make them change the way they play or make them a little timid trying to stop him. It’s a standard he sets – being physically dominant all over the court – and it makes people fear him like one. a force to be reckoned with.
The question arose this offseason, now that future first-ballot Hall of Famer Aaron Donald has retired: Was it time to call Lawrence the best interior defensive lineman in the NFL? He’s now taken this to another level, and it’s worth debating the number of defensive players.
For Lawrence to do what he did while lining up at nose, most of the time directly against the opposing center, is in some ways akin to a fullback leading the league in rushing.
To his credit, he has progressed up and down the line, leading a Giants front that features edge rusher Brian Burns and a defense that has a league-best 22 sacks through five games.
Don’t let the smile or the nickname “Sexy Dexy” fool you: Lawrence is a very bad man on the football field.
And make no mistake: this happens under normal circumstances.
Make him angry, like Pro Football Focus did by insinuating that Cowboys rookie center Cooper Beebe dominated Lawrence in their Thursday Night Football game without mentioning that the Giants star was doubled and tripled all night, well, the Seahawks paid for it.
“When he sees red, no one stops him,” Rogers said.
Comparing Lawrence and Donald at the same age
In addition to his six sacks – already two more than last year – Lawrence has 16 tackles (10 solo), four tackles for loss and 10 quarterback hits. Compare that to Donald, the best defensive lineman of his generation, at the same point in their careers.
Through five games in the 2017 season, Donald – then 26 – had two sacks, 14 tackles (10 solo), five tackles for loss and 10 quarterback hits. He finished the year with 11 sacks and 91 quarterback pressures en route to winning his first of three NFL Defensive Player of the Year awards.
How far can Lawrence go in his start to the season? He’s not looking beyond Sunday night against the Bengals.
“It’s all about being present and keeping your eyes where they need to be, not wasting a moment improving or growing,” Lawrence said. “Because if you focus on anything other than now, you risk being disappointed. I have something to prove every week. My job is to dominate. There are a lot of things in my game that you don’t have not yet seen.”
He paused before adding with a smile, “But they will.”
This article was originally published on NorthJersey.com: Dexter Lawrence: NY Giants star reveals secret to his dominance
