Dexter Lawrence – Syndication Server

Bryan Bresee credits his teammates for jump in sack production

Bryan Bresee has already exceeded his sack total from his rookie season. What changed from Year 1 to Year 2? He credits his teammates:

Bryan Bresee has surpassed his sack total from his rookie year, and he has a chance to lead all defensive tackles in sacks this season. Dexter Lawrence leads the league with 9 sacks at the position but is on injured reserve. The New Orleans Saints won’t have to face him when they play the New York Giants this week.

When the New Orleans Saints drafted Bresee in the first round, explosiveness was one of his featured traits. That quickly translated to his ability to get after the quarterback in the NFL.

What has contributed to the bump from 4.5 sacks a year ago to 6.5 sacks with five games remaining this season?

Bresee said how sacks are a team stat: “I think a lot of people look at sacks as a single person stat, but at the same time you have to look at the defensive backs covering. You have to look at the other defensive linemen you’re running games with. There’s a lot that goes into sacks.”

On an individual level, the improvement came from a better grasp of the game. Bresee continued, “Being able to understand what I’m going against every week, who I’m going against, what I think is going to work on them and being able to develop plans.”

It wasn’t immediate, but Bresee has began to piece together what he needs to craft a more intentional pass rush plan. It’s resulted in a more productive sophomore season.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5]

Giants face unenviable task of trying to replace Dexter Lawrence

The New York Giants are riddled with injury along their defensive line and are now scrambling to replace NT Dexter Lawrence.

New York Giants nose tackle Dexter Lawrence dislocated his elbow in the team’s 27-20 Thanksgiving Day loss to the Dallas Cowboys and was placed on injured reserve (IR) this week.

No Lawrence in the middle of the Giants’ defensive line is a scary proposition considering how teams have been shredding them in the running game even with Lawrence on the field.

Now comes the unenviable task of trying to backfill the big man’s role. Lawrence has played on 73 percent of the defensive snaps this season, the most of any of the Giants’ defensive linemen.

In addition to Lawrence being out, Rakeem Nunez-Roches (neck), who is second to Lawrence in playing time this year, is not practicing and backups D.J. Davidson, and DL Jordon Riley were limited on Wednesday.

Head coach Brian Daboll was asked what the plan is for the team’s final five games.

“You can’t replace Dexter,” he said. “I’d say we have a number of injuries on the defensive line right now, so we have a lot of young players that are going to have to, they’ve been working hard to continue to improve.

“(Andre Patterson) has done a nice job with them, but you’re never going to replace Dexter, and we’ll see where Nacho is, DJ, too. We’ve got some guys injured in that spot. These young guys are going to have to do a nice job of doing the best they can.”

The Giants’ depth chart is spotty at the moment. Daboll said Nacho could be “week-to-week,” leaving Davidson and Riley as the starters with rookie Elijah Chatman and recently signed Cory Durden as the others in the rotation.

Chatman was a training camp surprise as an undersized undrafted free agent out of SMU this summer and has been on the club all season. He’s been on the field, spelling the starters to the tune of 28 percent of the snaps. He’ll be seeing the field a lot more over the next month.

“Yeah, we’ve used him more, I’d say, in passing situations,” Daboll said. “Obviously, the last game we had to use him a bunch. He’s got quickness.

“A shorter guy, but quickness, powerful. He’s going to have to do a good job, both in the run and pass, as all those guys. Riley, we’ll see where he’s at, he’ll be limited. D.J. Davidson, then you’ve got guys on the practice squad, Casey (Rogers), (Elijah) Garcia, and Durden that we just signed. So, a lot of young guys that are going to have to step up.”

This will be another true test of the Giants’ roster flexibility this year. Hopefully, for them, they bend but don’t break here.

[lawrence-related id=737063,737066,737050]

Giants vs. Saints: 3 causes for concern in Week 14

The New York Giants square off in a Sunday afternoon battle against the New Orleans Saints in Week 14. Here are three causes for concern.

The New York Giants will host the New Orleans Saints on Sunday as the season’s conclusion approaches.

The Saints, winners of two of their last three, will bring a 1-4 record away from Caesars Superdome to MetLife Stadium in Week 14. At 4-8 on the season, the Saints are two games back of the NFC South division lead behind both the Atlanta Falcons and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Meanwhile, the Giants are riding a seven-game losing streak and are 0-6 at home this season.

The Giants opened as 4-point home underdogs earlier this week, and being an underdog has become a common theme for them over the last few seasons.

Here are three causes for concern ahead of Sunday’s game.

A big loss on the defensive line

The Giants’ defensive line took a massive hit last week when it was announced that Dexter Lawrence would likely miss the rest of the season with a dislocated elbow.

Somehow, Lawrence has continued to improve in his last two seasons. He had 9.0 sacks before his injury. Although he hadn’t had a sack in the last five games, Lawrence was a constant force all season long and often required double teams from opposing teams.

Lawrence is one of the top three players on the Giants roster and just like the loss of Andrew Thomas, this will be a hard one to overcome.

Alvin Kamara

The Saints running back has been one of the best dual-threat backs in the league for quite some time. Although many suspected he would regress this year because of his age, he’s on pace to eclipse 1,000 rushing yards for the first time in his career and surpass the 500-yard receiving mark for the first time since 2020.

The Saints rank top 10 in yards per rush, rushes per game, rushing yards per game, and rushing touchdowns per game.

The Giants have struggled against the run all season long so Kamara should have a strong game on Sunday.

Another home game

The Giants are 0-6 at MetLife Stadium this season and have been outscored 150-60 in those games. The Giants averaging just 10 points per game at home this season is not a recipe for success.

With a revolving door at the quarterback position over the last several weeks, Big Blue will likely continue to struggle to put points on the board.

[lawrence-related id=737005,736976,736997]

Bryan Bresee on track to lead the NFL’s defensive tackles in sacks

Sacks aren’t everything for a defensive tackle, but there’s a lot to be said for leading the league in them. Bryan Bresee is on track to do just that:

Sacks aren’t everything for a defensive tackle, but there’s a lot to be said for leading the league in them. And Bryan Bresee is on track to do just that. The New Orleans Saints’ second-year pro is up to 6.5 sacks through 12 games, a big improvement over his rookie numbers (4.5 in 17 games). That ranks second-most in his position group.

So who’s on top? That would be New York Giants star Dexter Lawrence, with 9.0 sacks in 12 games for himself. But Lawrence’s season has ended on injured reserve after he suffered a dislocated elbow. He isn’t expected back in 2024, which sets a clear goal for Bresee to chase through these last five games. His next challenge comes against Lawrence’s teammates on the Giants, who have allowed 40 sacks as a team. That’s tied for seventh-most. For comparison, the Saints have allowed the seventh-fewest quarterback sacks with 23.

This would be an impressive achievement for Bresee if he can get there, but he’s already made some big strides through two years in the NFL. It’s encouraging that he’s improving, but he isn’t a finished product just yet. He’s still getting pushed around and washed out on running downs. He struggles to disengage against an opponent advancing uphill. If he can continue to learn on the job and make improvements, and clean up that part of his game? The sky might be the limit for the young pro.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5]

Giants place Dexter Lawrence, Theo Johnson on injured reserve

The New York Giants have placed NT Dexter Lawrence and TE Theo Johnson on IR, while signing a defensive tackle off the Rams’ practice squad.

The New York Giants have officially placed nose tackle Dexter Lawrence and rookie tight end Theo Johnson on injured reserve (IR).

Lawrence suffered a dislocated elbow on Thanksgiving Day against the Dallas Cowboys when linebacker Bobby Okereke landed on him awkwardly.

Johnson, meanwhile, suffered a foot injury during the same game.

Both players are eligible to return after four games, which would be for a Week 18 matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles. Still, it’s unlikely that either is activated for a meaningless season-ending contest.

“I think, the reality of it is we’re going to miss him,” linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux said of Lawrence. “But this is going to be a great test and a great evaluation on everybody around him, the back end, the front end. We kind of joked about it as, ‘Dex can’t be the crutch. Dex can’t be our excuse on why we’re playing well or why we’re not playing well.’

“We all kind of got to each step up to the plate, knowing that one of our top guys isn’t there anymore. As far as leadership goes, it’s up to us in the front end and the back end to continue to step up, where he’s now missing.”

With Lawrence joining left tackle Andrew Thomas on IR and quarterback Daniel Jones having been released, the Giants are down to just two team captains — Okereke and long-snapper Casey Kreiter.

With two spots open on their 53-man roster, the Giants filled one by signing defensive tackle Cory Durden off of the Los Angeles Rams’ practice squad.

The 6-foot-4, 316-pound Durden signed with the Detroit Lions as an undrafted rookie free agent in 2023. He was released as a part of final cuts before signing with the Rams.

In four career games, the 25-year-old Durden has recorded three tackles (one solo).

[lawrence-related id=736963,736958,736953]

For Giants, there’s little to look forward to over final five weeks

The New York Giants (2-10) have very little left to play for with one-third of the regular season remaining.

This season has seemed like an eternity for New York Giants fans. They’ve seen just about everything this year, both good and bad, but mostly bad.

The good part is that this season is two-thirds over. The bad part is there is one-third remaining.

At 2-10, the Giants are tied for the worst record in the NFL. Against Dallas on Thanksgiving, they scored a touchdown on their first offensive series for only the second time this season and the first time since September 15 in Washington.

It was also their first lead in a game since Week 5. It’s Week 13. Ouch.

Is there anything to look forward to? There is, but we’d be remiss if we didn’t warn you that rough roads lie ahead.

The Giants have five games remaining. All five opponents have a top running back: New Orleans (Alvin Kamara), Baltimore (Derrick Henry), Atlanta (Bijan Robinson), Indianapolis (Jonathan Taylor), and Philadelphia (guess who?).

The Giants have been ravaged on the ground the past eight weeks, allowing almost 160 yards per game. And now they will be without Pro Bowl nose tackle Dexter Lawrence (elbow), likely for the rest of the season, which will worsen things.

The Giants have just one interception on the year and have set an NFL record for consecutive games (11) without recording one. They led the league in sacks after eight weeks but have recorded just one over their last four games.

There is little to look forward to at quarterback as the team is deciding which backup-level player, Drew Lock or Tommy DeVito, is best suited to lead them the rest of the way. Neither is their quarterback of the future.

A huge silver lining to this season has been their six-man draft class, led by their top two selections — wide receiver Malik Nabers and safety Tyler Nubin.

Nabers has 75 catches, the highest total by a player in his first 10 career games in NFL history. Nubin is tied for the team lead in tackles (93) and has played on 99.7 percent of the defensive snaps this season.

Their other four picks — cornerback Andru Phillips, tight end Theo Johnson, running back Tyrone Tracy Jr., and linebacker/special teamer Darius Muasua — have also played well and flashed at times.

This class is one the team can build on which is why many polls show the fans want general manager Joe Schoen back.

Not as much can be said for head coach Brian Daboll, who took over the offensive play-calling duties this season only to have the team’s output decline.

[lawrence-related id=736911,736902,736894]

Giants’ Dexter Lawrence, Theo Johnson likely out for season

New York Giants NT Dexter Lawrence (elbow) and TE Theo Johnson (foot) are likely out for the remainder of the season.

The New York Giants’ miserable 2024 campaign worsened on Friday after the team announced that injuries to Pro Bowl defensive lineman Dexter Lawrence and rookie tight end Theo Johnson would likely be season-ending.

Lawrence left the Giants’ 27-20 loss to the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday in the third quarter with a dislocated elbow.

Johnson, who has seen his usage increase lately, appeared to suffer a foot injury late in the game and was upset in the locker room after the game.

Lawrence, at one point this season, led the NFL in sacks (9) but hasn’t recorded one since Week 8.

Johnson, a fourth-round pick out of Penn State this past April, has played in all 12 games, starting 11. He has 29 receptions for 331 yards and a touchdown on 43 targets.

Head coach Brian Daboll said on Friday that he wasn’t very “optimistic” about Lawrence playing again this season.

“I would say that I anticipate it being a long-term injury, the rest of the season,” Daboll said on Friday. “Still going to have to take a look at a few different things, but not very optimistic about it.”

Lawrence injured the elbow in a collision with linebacker Bobby Okereke.

“I overextended and Bobby came crashing down and it popped out of place,” Lawrence said. “I looked at him and said, ‘You just popped my elbow out of place.’ And then I thought, ‘I wonder if this is what shock feels like.'”

Daboll also said Johnson’s injury was likely long-term, even season-ending.

“We are going to get a few more tests, but I definitely think there’s a potential of that,” Daboll said.

Not much has gone right for the Giants, who sit with the NFL’s worst record at the moment (2-10).

They have five games remaining. They play New Orleans and Baltimore at home followed by a trip to Atlanta and a home game versus Indianapolis before finishing the season down in Philadelphia against old friend Saquon Barkley.

[lawrence-related id=736858,736879,736866]

Giants’ Dexter Lawrence suffered dislocated elbow in loss to Cowboys

New York Giants NT Dexter Lawrence suffered a dislocated elbow in a Thursday loss to the Cowboys and may be out the remainder of the season.

New York Giants nose tackle Dexter Lawrence, who is in the midst of an All-Pro season, left Thursday’s 27-20 loss to the Dallas Cowboys in the second half and did not return.

Lawrence met with reporters in the postgame locker room while wearing a sling, revealing that he had a dislocated elbow.

“Popped elbow,” he said.

Lawrence said he looked down at his misshapen arm after making a tackle and remarked to linebacker Bobby Okereke about what shock is like. He then ran off to the sideline and popped it back in.

“I overextended, and Bobby came crashing down and it popped out of place,” Lawrence said, via the New York Post. “I looked at him and said, ‘You just popped my elbow out of place.’ And then I thought, ‘I wonder if this is what shock feels like.'”

An injury to Lawrence is the last thing New York needed, especially when it was caused by friendly fire. But Sexy Dexy is determined to avoid season-ending injured reserve (IR), insisting he’ll play through the pain when he’s capable of it.

“I’ll be hurt,” he said. “Because I love going out there and fighting with my guys each and every week. That’s what brings me joy, and I hate not being able to be out there.”

It’s difficult to envision the Giants allowing that to happen considering their season is entirely lost at 2-10 with just five games remaining. So what started as an all-time year will end in pain and heartbreak for Lawrence.

In addition to Lawrence, defensive tackles D.J. Davidson (shoulder) and Rakeem Nunez-Roches (stinger) left the game injured.

Although he remained in the game until the bitter end, Okereke was also spotted on a cart headed for X-rays following the NFC East loss. There has been no update on those results as of Friday morning.

[lawrence-related id=736753,736748,736711]

Giants players walk back ‘soft’ comments, point fingers at media

Several New York Giants players walked back their effort criticisms from Week 12 by claiming members of the media took them out of context.

Following an embarrassing 30-7 drubbing at the hands of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this past Sunday, several New York Giants players sounded off in the locker room after the game.

“We played soft, and they beat the (expletive) out of us today,” defensive captain Dexter Lawrence said.

“Soft as (expletive),” wide receiver Malik Nabers added.

Offensive tackle Jermaine Eluemunor, who left the game due to injury, questioned the effort he saw some several of his teammates.

“I personally don’t think everybody is giving 100 percent,” Eluemunor said, via ESPN.

The comments were addressed by head coach Brian Daboll earlier this week, which included a meeting between Daboll, general manager Joe Schoen, and Nabers.

Daboll said the air had been cleared.

On Tuesday, following the team’s walkthrough practice, several players did an about-face, blaming the media for taking their comments out of context.

“Well, about the soft thing, I think you guys need to be held accountable for how you put it out there. I didn’t say, ‘We are soft,’ as a team. I think I said we ‘played’ that way,” Lawrence told reporters. “So, for you all to put the message out that way is not okay, as well, and should be held accountable for that.”

Nabers also expressed regret over some of the verbiage he used after the frustrating loss.

“After watching the film, I wish I would have used different words to describe the game afterwards. I don’t think it was really soft,” he said.

Daboll has often been accused of being too lenient with his players and allowing them to get away with too much. With his job now on the line, it’s clear he wanted to get a handle on this before it was out of his control. The players responded by walking back their comments and attempting to project blame on the media.

The optics don’t improve by players failing to accept responsibility for their own comments but it does indicate that, at least for now, Daboll still has some level of control in the locker room.

[lawrence-related id=736680,736677,736668]

Giants injury report: Tommy DeVito at risk of missing Cowboys game

New York Giants QB Tommy DeVito was added to Tuesday’s injury report and is at risk of missing a Thanksgiving Day game against Dallas.

The New York Giants took the field on Tuesday for a walkthrough practice ahead of their Week 13 game against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

Beforehand, head coach Brian Daboll met with reporters and revealed that quarterback Tommy DeVito was added to the injury report with a forearm issue.

“If we were practicing today, it’s a walkthrough, he would be limited. His forearm is sore, and we’ll see where we’re at. We had a walkthrough right before this. It is sore, so we’ll see where we’re at here,” Daboll said.

“He threw in the walkthrough. I wouldn’t say it’s timing or a lot of depth to it or velocity to it, but he was throwing in the walkthrough. He’s going to test it out here today in practice in another walkthrough. So, I’m hopeful, but it’s not 100 percent.”

Daboll added that he was “hopeful” both DeVito and right tackle Evan Neal will play, but was less optimistic regarding edge rusher Azeez Ojulari, defensive tackle Armon Watts, and left tackle Jermaine Eluemunor.

The Giants’ full Tuesday injury report can be found below:

Did not participate: OL Jermaine Eluemunor (quad), LB Azeez Ojulari (toe), DT Armon Watts (shoulder)

Limited participant: QB Tommy DeVito (forearm), OL Evan Neal (hip), CB Deonte Banks (rib), DT D.J. Davidson (shoulder), TE Theo Johnson (back), LB Micah McFadden (thumb/heel), S Tyler Nubin (back)

Full participant: NT Dexter Lawrence (knee)

[lawrence-related id=736635,736629,736645]