Tag: Dexter Lawrence

Is T.J. Watt’s dominant start foreshadowing another D.P.O.Y award?

T.J. Watt’s 2024 campaign showcases dominance, aiming for his second D.P.O.Y. award with elite performances in his 8 games played.

T.J. Watt continues to prove week in and week out that he is a force to be reckoned with for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Whether he is sacking the quarterback, forcing a fumble, or stuffing the run, one thing remains certain—Watt is inevitable.

Watt’s 2024 resume speaks for itself. Through 8 games played, his four forced fumbles are tied for first, his ten tackles for loss are tied for second, his nine QB hits are tied for fifth, and his six and a half sacks are tied for ninth.

The former 2021 D.P.O.Y. winner is looking to build on this fantastic statistical output and put together an undeniable campaign to win the illustrious award for a second time.

DraftKings currently has Watt as the odds-on favorite to win the award through nine weeks, ahead of elite defenders such as Kansas City Chiefs’ DT Chris Jones, New York Giants’ DT Dexter Lawrence, Houston Texans’ EDGE Will Anderson Jr., and Detroit Lions Safety Kerby Joseph.

Can Watt achieve his second D.P.O.Y. award in 2024, or will his efforts result in him being snubbed once again?

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Giants-Commanders Week 9: Offense, defense and special teams snap counts

The New York Giants lost their Week 9 game against the Washington Commanders. Here are the snap counts on offense, defense and special teams.

The New York Giants couldn’t rally on Sunday at MetLife Stadium, falling to the Washington Commanders, 27-22.

The loss was a wasted effort for quarterback Daniel Jones, who had his strongest performance in front of hometown fans since January of 2023. He accounted for 228 yards and three touchdowns, and had a fourth called back on an egregious offensive pass interference call.

Five-plus dropped passes and an underwhelming defensive performance, coupled with questionable clock management, certainly didn’t help matters.

Here are the snap counts that contributed to the Giants’ Week 9 loss.

Offensive snaps: 65
Defensive snaps: 62
Special teams snaps: 22

Wide receiver Jalin Hyatt is back to being the forgotten man. He took just four offensive snaps in Week 9 and did not see a single target. With all the talk about trading Darius Slayton, perhaps general manager Joe Schoen should test the waters and see if he could get a JUGS machine or something in return for Hyatt.

Cornerback Deonte Banks, fresh off his Week 8 benching, took 100 percent of the defensive snaps and surrendered a nearly uncontested touchdown to Terry McLaurin.

Also on defense, the Giants used four different defensive tackles not named Dexter Lawrence on Sunday and all four were exposed when Sexy Dexy wasn’t on the field. The Commanders ran right at them every single time.

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Giants vs. Commanders: 3 reasons for optimism in Week 9

The New York Giants host the Washington Commanders on Sunday afternoon in Week 9, and here are three reasons for optimism.

The New York Giants will host the Washington Commanders on Sunday in Week 9, as they try to end their three-game losing streak.

The two teams will meet for the second time this season after the Giants dropped the first game against the Commanders, 21-18, back in Week 2.

Big Blue lost kicker Graham Gano early on due to roster management negligence and became the first team in NFL history to lose a game in regulation while scoring three-plus touchdowns and allowing no touchdowns.

The Giants remain four-point underdogs after opening up as 3.5-point home underdogs earlier this week.

Here are three reasons for optimism ahead of Sunday’s divisional game.

Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports

Favorable matchup for Giants’ offense

The last time these two teams met back in Week 2, the Giants scored three offensive touchdowns, something they have only done twice this season.

New York’s offense has struggled mightily over the last three weeks. However, Daniel Jones should be looking forward to playing a Commanders team which he has had success against in his career.

Luke Johnson-Imagn Images

Red zone defense

As it has been highlighted following the matchup in Week 2, the Giants were on the wrong side of history. The bad news is that the Commanders had their way getting down the field at will, never having to punt the first time these two teams met. The good news? The Giants’ defense buckled down in the red zone and did not allow a touchdown all game long.

The Commanders are 24th in the league in red zone (touchdown) offense and the Giants’ pass rush has been playing at an elite level as of late.

Greg Fiume/Getty Images

Giants pass rush

The Giants pass rush has been playing at a historic level and leads the league with 35 sacks and a sack rate of 13.31% ahead of Week 9. The individual leading the league in sacks? Nose tackle Dexter Lawrence.

Jayden Daniels was sacked five times back in Week 2, the highest sack total in his young rookie season. Daniels does a really good job at protecting the football but the Giants’ pass rush gives them a chance to limit the Commanders’ offense on Sunday.

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Giants sacking quarterbacks at a historic rate in 2024

The 2024 New York Giants are on pace to set a new NFL single-season record for sacks by a team.

The New York Giants plan to upgrade their pass rush this past offseason has been a success thus far. They are leading the NFL in sacks with 35 after eight weeks.

They are sacking the quarterback at a rate not seen in nearly a quarter of a century.

The Giants have 61 QB hits, tied with Baltimore for second in the league and two behind the league leader, Denver.

The Giants’ pass rush is led by interior lineman Dexter Lawrence, who leads the NFL with 9.0 sacks, and linebackers Azeez Ojulari (6.0 sacks) and Brian Burns (5.0).

Safety Jason Pinnock has three sacks and four other players — defensive lineman D.J. Davidson and linebackers Kayvon Thibodeaux, Bobby Okereke, and Micah McFadden — each have two.

The Giants are averaging 4.4 sacks per game. No other team is averaging over 3.9. The Giants are on pace for 74 sacks over the 17-game regular season.

The NFL record for team sacks is 72, set by the 1984 Chicago Bears. That was naturally over a 16-game season.

The Giants team record for sacks in a single season is 68, set back in 1985.

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Giants injury report: Tyrone Tracy Jr. advances in concussion protocol

New York Giants RB Tyrone Tracy Jr. advanced in concussion protocol and has a chance to play against the Washington Commanders on Sunday.

The New York Giants took the field on Thursday for their second of three practices ahead of a Week 9 game against the Washington Commanders at MetLife Stadium.

Beforehand, head coach Brian Daboll delivered a positive injury update, revealing that all but two players — punter Jamie Gillan and wide receiver Bryce Ford-Wheaton — would return to practice.

Daboll also stated that rookie running back Tyrone Tracy Jr. advanced in concussion protocol and would wear the red non-contact jersey.

“Trending in the right direction,” Daboll said.

In further good news, Daboll said there’s a strong chance veteran cornerback Adoree’ Jackson returns for Sunday’s game against Washington barring a setback.

“Good to go,” he said of Jackson

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

Did not participate: P Jamie Gillan (hamstring), WR Bryce Ford-Wheaton (Achilles)

Limited participant: RB Tyrone Tracy Jr. (concussion), CB Adoree’ Jackson (neck), CB Cor’Dale Flott (groin), CB Tre Hawkins (groin), OL Jake Kubas (abdomen), OL John Michael Schmitz (calf), LB Ty Summers (ankle), OL Joshua Ezeudu (knee), WR Ihmir Smith-Marsette (ankle), OL Jon Runyan Jr. (foot)

Full participant: OL Jermaine Eluemunor (hip), LB Brian Burns (groin/biceps), LB Matthew Adams (knee), NT Dexter Lawrence (rest)

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Giants injury report: Tyrone Tracy Jr. in concussion protocol

New York Giants rookie RB Tyrone Tracy Jr. is in the “early stages” of concussion protocol and may not be available in Week 9 vs. Washington.

The New York Giants returned to the practice field on Wednesday afternoon in preparation for a Week 9 game against the Washington Commanders at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

On short rest, the Giants had a lengthy injury report with several veterans and stars sitting out, including nose tackle Dexter Lawrence and running back Tyrone Tracy Jr.

Head coach Brian Daboll revealed that Tracy, who left Monday night’s game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, was in the “early stages” of concussion protocol. He is 50-50 to play against the Commanders.

Lawrence, who has been battling a hip injury for most of the season, was given a veteran rest day.

Meanwhile, offensive tackle Joshua Ezeudu had his knee drained and missed practice, paving the way for veteran Chris Hubbard to start at left tackle for the second consecutive week.

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

Did not participate: RB Tyrone Tracy Jr. (concussion), NT Dexter Lawrence (rest), P Jamie Gillan (hamstring), OL Joshua Ezeudu (knee), WR Bryce Ford-Wheaton (Achilles), WR Ihmir Smith-Marsette (ankle), LB Matthew Adams (knee)

Limited participant: LB Brian Burns (groin/biceps), CB Adoree’ Jackson (neck), OL Jermaine Eluemunor (hip), CB Cor’Dale Flott (groin), CB Tre Hawkins (groin), OL Jake Kubas (abdomen), OL John Michael Schmitz (calf), LB Ty Summers (ankle)

Full participant: None

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Giants’ Brian Burns: This team needs to ‘grow up’

Some New York Giants veterans are frustrated with the team’s sloppy play and losing ways and are speaking out.

The New York Giants fell to 2-6 on the season after a 26-18 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday night. It was another winnable game that got away from them.

Veterans such as Dexter Lawrence, Brian Burns, and Greg Van Roten pushed the younger players during and after the game to step up their efforts. Either their words fell on deaf ears or this team simply isn’t ready to win in its current form.

The latter is likely the answer. The Giants made the same mistakes they’ve been making for years, playing just well enough to fall short.

“The team needs to grow up,” said Burns, a former Pro Bowl edge rusher who the Giants traded for this past offseason, via NJ Advance Media.

Burns chalked up the situation to “frustration.”

“To me, it doesn’t come down to effort,” Burns said of what he felt the team needs. “I feel like guys play hard. I think it just comes down to details and being super detailed in your job… Things not going your way and momentum switches can cause people to lack on their details.”

Lawrence also showed his frustration after the game.

The game was tied at halftime at 9-9 and was within reach had the Giants had their business better buttoned up.

“I’m a passionate dude, and I put a lot into this game,” Lawrence said. “I expect a lot to come back — and for my teammates also to give a lot to the game. I think I’m a little frustrated because we’re a good team and we keep beating ourselves every week.

“We can’t have that — and I addressed it. We’ve just got to be mentally locked in on every play — not just plays here and there. That’s where my frustration comes. On game days, we’ve got to show up.”

The time to show up may have come and gone for the Giants this season. There are nine games remaining and they may need to win all of them to even think about qualifying for the postseason.

But the postseason may have never been a reasonable expectation for this team from the start. They don’t do many things well and anything that has gone well hasn’t lasted very long.

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Steelers vs Giants injury updates: New York gets top edge rusher back

The Steelers need to make sure they have a plan for Brian Burns on Monday night.

The New York Giants are coming to Acrisure Stadium on Monday night to take on the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Steelers offensive line had better be ready. According to NFL Network report Mike Garafolo, the Giants did not give an injury designation to defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence or edge rusher Brian Burns.

This means New York’s top two defensive players are good to go against the Steelers. This puts a ton of pressure on a Steelers offensive line that has had its share of ups and downs. Injuries have forced lots of changes to the interior offensive line where Lawrence does his damage.

Burns will test starting left tackle Dan Moore Jr. on every rep. Moore has been steady but not spectacular this season.

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Giants will start CB Deonte Banks after he quit in Week 7

After an embarrassing lack of effort in Week 7, cornerback Deonte Banks will avoid a benching and remain the New York Giants’ starter.

If New York Giants cornerback Deonte Banks was disciplined for his complete lack of effort in a Week 7 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, it will remain internal.

Head coach Brian Daboll revealed on Friday that Banks will not be benched on Monday night when the Giants play the Pittsburgh Steelers, and will assume his normal starting role.

“He’ll start,” Daboll said, via NJ Advance Media. “We’ve talked to Tae. We’ll keep that in-house.”

It’s at least the second time the Giants have been forced to “talk to Tae” this season. He displayed a similar lack of effort during a Week 4 loss against the Dallas Cowboys, drawing the public ire of defensive backs coach Jerome Henderson.

Banks claims he let his emotions get the best of him against the Eagles, but also admitted to The Athletic that he simply made a business decision when avoiding contact with the scrambling Jalen Hurts early in the fourth quarter.

“I think I could have made it, but sometimes when you’re in that moment, you just think like, ‘Nah.’ But I think I could’ve made a tackle,” Banks said, per Dan Duggan.

Defensive captain Dexter Lawrence said Banks’ lack of effort was also addressed as a team but refused to provide any additional detail. He simply vowed that it would not happen again.

Shane Bowen, the team’s defensive coordinator, shared similar sentiments.

“We expect these guys every snap to play full speed to the tackle. Making sure they’re running the ball and doing all those things. That’s the expectation. That’s the standard we want to have here across the board,” he told reporters. “Something we got to continue to coach. We’ve addressed it as a coaching staff and with the unit and everybody else. Hopefully, moving forward, we can continue to see some progress and some growth in that regard from all our guys, too.”

And that, as they say, is that.

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Giants injury report: Jermaine Eluemunor misses practice

The New York Giants have added right tackle Jermaine Eluemunor (groin) to the injury report after not practicing on Friday.

The New York Giants took the field on Friday for their second of three practices ahead of a Week 8 game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Acrisure Stadium.

Beforehand, head coach Brian Daboll delivered some unfortunate injury news and revealed that right tackle Jermaine Eluemunor would not participate as the result of a groin injury.

Although Daboll wouldn’t rule Eluemunor out for Monday night, embattled offensive tackle Evan Neal stepped in and assumed first-team reps on the right side.

Joshua Ezeudu continues taking first-team reps at left tackle.

“Hopeful,” Daboll said when asked if Eluemunor would play against the Steelers.

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

Did not participate: LB Brian Burns (groin/Achilles), CB Adoree’ Jackson (neck), LB Ty Summers (hamstring/ankle), P Jamie Gillan (hamstring), OL Jermaine Eluemunor (hip)

Limited participant: NT Dexter Lawrence (hip), CB Cor’Dale Flott (groin), CB Tre Hawkins (ankle)

Full participant: WR Jalin Hyatt (ribs), WR Byrce Ford-Wheaton (Achilles)

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