Last season, no defensive tackle outperformed the New York Giants’ Dexter Lawrence. Standing 6-foot-4 and weighing 340 pounds, he was an unstoppable force in the trenches, earning his third straight Pro Bowl selection.
In just 12 games, Lawrence recorded nine sacks — the most on the team — before a dislocated elbow landed him on injured reserve. Since then, his impact has noticeably declined. This year, through eight games, he’s managed only half a sack and four quarterback hits.
The drop in production has a former Giants great wondering what’s going on. Is he truly back to full strength after the injury? Sure, he still faces double teams on most snaps — but that’s never really slowed him down before. This year, though, he just looks… human.
Carl Banks Takes a Shot at Dexter Lawrence
Former Giants linebacker and current radio analyst Carl Banks recently called out Lawrence on his podcast, saying that opposing players no longer show him the same level of respect.
“Nobody respects you anymore,” Banks said. “The pre-injury Dexter is not there anymore in their heads. You’re not making a difference, (but) the old Dexter would. It’s time for you to start expecting more of yourself.”
Lawrence didn’t mince words in firing back at Banks’ sharp criticism.
After Wednesday’s practice, he told reporters that Banks was “delusional,” pointing out the constant attention he draws from opposing offenses.
“Those were strong words,” Lawrence said, adding, “If that’s how he feels, f–k it.”
Lawrence pointed to the constant double-teams and chip blocks he faces — the fourth-highest rate in the NFL at 72.22% — as clear evidence that opponents still respect him.
“I get a lot of attention. Check those numbers,” he said. “I hope they start not respecting me, because that’s not what’s showing on the field.”
“He can say what he wants. I’m going to keep doing what I’m doing, trying to help us get a win.”
Giants Defensive Line Coach Defends His Nose Tackle
This week, Giants defensive line coach Andre Patterson stepped up to defend Lawrence, backing his star player in front of the media on Friday.
“I get people look at the numbers and say he is not playing to the numbers he had last year. That part of it is true,” Patterson said. “That does not mean he is not playing well. I don’t know if people understand it. I watch the film over and over and over again. If he wasn’t playing well, I would stand right here in front of you and tell you, ‘He’s not playing well and I have to get him to play better.’ But that’s not the truth.”
“He is his own worst enemy,” Patterson added. “What he did last year was unreal. Is he still striving to go out there and try to achieve those goals? Yes, but it’s hard to do from where he plays. He’s not a three-technique who gets 1 on 1s. He is trapped right in the middle. And he made a name for himself. That’s what he has to deal with.”
“It’s OK for [Banks] to have the opinion that he has and that’s how he sees it. It’s one person’s opinion. I have a great deal of respect for what he’s done in his career as a New York Giant. But when it comes to D-line, I’m one of 32 [NFL coaches] that does this in the whole world. My word, Shane’s (DC Shane Bowen) word, and our head coach’s word is the most important word. No, it doesn’t carry any other merit.”
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Giants Coach Defends Dexter Lawrence After Harsh Carl Banks Comments appeared first on Heavy Sports.