A former Clemson Tiger made a critical error with the game on the line.
During Washington’s 30-29 win over the New York Giants on Thursday Night Football, Dexter Lawrence gave The Football Team a second chance at life.
Dustin Hopkins missed a game-winning 48-yard field goal, but Lawrence was ruled offsides on the game’s final play. Hopkins was able to line up five yards upfield and nailed a 43-yarder to send Washington home with its first victory of the season.
While the game shouldn’t have come down to one consequential play and the Giants had other missed opportunities at putting points on the board, Lawrence wore his mistake and took responsibility.
‘That’s on me. I have to be more disciplined at times in a critical situation—that’s why I’m on the field …I just gotta do better,” Lawrence said during Friday’s Zoom availability with reporters, per NFL Network’s Kim Jones.
Lawrence was asked if he thought he was offsides, which has been left up for debate on social media, but he declined to answer, indicating that his opinion on the matter doesn’t hold much weight.
While Lawrence took the blame, his head coach, Joe Judge, didn’t feel the same way.
“I’m not gonna put this on Dexter Lawrence,” Judge said postgame. “There’s things we all have to do better as professionals, but I’m not gonna put this on any one player.”
Dexter Lawrence on zoom: “That’s on me. I gotta be more disciplined in that time, a critical situation. … I just gotta do better. …The refs call what they call.”
You weren’t offsides?
“That don’t really matter. My opinion don’t matter.” #NYG— Kim Jones (@KimJonesSports) September 17, 2021
"I'm not going to put this on Dexter Lawrence" – Joe Judge pic.twitter.com/s9PLcyiyZ2
— Giants Videos (@SNYGiants) September 17, 2021
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