First, Dexter Lawrence’s coaches suggested he had become a dominant player for the Giants.
Then Lawrence’s numbers indicated that.
Now, the opponent says so.
Midfielder Aaron Rodgers praises Lawrence During his weekly appearance on “The Pat McAfree Show”. The irony is that Rodgers referred to Lawrence by his standard number, not by his name.
“No. 97 is a key player, and he probably needs to get more recognition for the abilities he has,” Rodgers said. “Talk to the three of us [offensive linemen]They think he’s one of the best players in the league for sure. He played really well for them.”
Lawrence contributed five tackles and a sack to the Giants’ 27-22 win over the Packers. The sack knocked Green Bay out of goal range and forced a jumping kick that led to a relegation attempt for the Giants.
Defensive coordinator Wink Martindale unlocked Lawrence by allowing him to be more of a pass rusher rather than a cannibal so others could get him for free. Lawrence has 17 pressings, three sacks (professional highest is four) and is the No. 5 defensive tackle in the NFL by Pro Football Focus.
Martindale described Rodgers last week as a “snake” who will bite if you let his guard down and not realize he’s as dangerous as ever. The courtesy was returned after the Giants closed out the second half against the Packers.
“I have a lot of respect for Wink. I think he’s a great coach,” Rodgers said. “They have a good plan, they have really good players. They are aggressive, they chase after you. They had acute pressure, they had overpressure, and they had empty pressure. They threw a lot at us, and I thought we held up pretty well. … They play well together and fly towards the ball.”