EAST RUTHERFORD - Day-after-victory film reviews in the NFL are typically sessions filled with internal praise and recognition, and not without with some constructive criticism along the way.
For Dexter Lawrence, there is another purpose entirely. He certainly takes pride as an elite player on whom the New York Giants can count. Greater meaning and satisfaction is found in this reality, however:
When Giants opponents turn on the video and begin their preparation, Lawrence wants them to feel with trepidation the challenge of trying to stop what is coming. It's not that he does not appreciate what the Giants think of his play.
His primary motivation is making sure the players next tasked with blocking him know what they are up against.
"I don't want to disappoint nobody," Lawrence told NorthJersey.com. "If dominance is what you expect from me, that's what you are going to get. My job is to give them what they want."
Lawrence is living up to that promise by putting himself in the NFL Defensive Player of the Year conversation, and not solely because of his statistical production, which is plenty good enough. He has six sacks, which is more than reigning Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett (4) and double the number for Chiefs All-Pro Chris Jones (3).
Judging the 6-foot-4, 340-pound Lawrence's impact only by the numbers is a foolish exercise, however.
Turn on the tape and you'll see his quest to be regarded as the top player at his position in the NFL is undeniable. He's the best defensive player the Giants have had since Michael Strahan, and that's not intended to be disrespectful to Jason Pierre-Paul, Osi Umenyiora and Justin Tuck.
Lawrence is well aware that the perception of him as a football player has changed over the past two years. Still, he's not satisfied, and with all eyes in the locker room peering in his direction, the drive to be the best is greater than ever as the Giants prepare to welcome Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals to MetLife Stadium on Sunday night.
"On the field, it's about not wasting a moment to get better," Lawrence told NorthJersey.com. "In this locker room, it's not wasting a moment with the guys, cutting up, laughing. In the film room, it's not wasting a moment watching something where you can learn and grow from. In life, it's not wasting a moment with the people you care about the most. And I think that’s where I’ve always been. It’s why I don’t really see past where I’m at [into the future] or behind me and what’s already happened."
"Because I’m always in the moment. It’s a good trait and a bad trait at the same time, but that’s how I live my life."
Building a resume for the next team
Undrafted rookie Casey Rogers, his Giants teammate, marvels at what he sees as the secret within Lawrence's success. They were drill partners within the defensive line group this summer, and there was a level of expectation Lawrence demanded on the practice field from Rogers - not verbally, mind you, but with his presence.
Now, with Rogers on the practice squad, Lawrence sets the tone with how he attacks those film sessions - he's out to send a message every time he steps between the lines.
"Dex builds his resume every week for the next team we play," Rogers told NorthJersey.com. "He knows if he has a dominant game, the next team is going to see everything he does, and it's a mental warfare thing. They're gonna see how dominant he was against the Seahawks, hopefully that'll either make them change the way they play or make them a little timid trying to stop him. It's a standard he sets - be physically dominant all over the field - and that makes people fear him as a force to be reckoned with."
The question came up this offseason, now that future first-ballot Hall of Famer Aaron Donald has retired: Was it time to call Lawrence the best interior defensive lineman in the NFL? He's now taken that to another level, and it's worth debating how many defensive players are
For Lawrence to do what he has done while lining up at nose tackle, most of the time straight up against the opposing center, it's akin in some ways to a fullback leading the league in rushing.
To his credit, he's been moving up and down the line, leading a Giants front that includes edge rusher Brian Burns and a defense that has a league-best 22 sacks in five games.
Don’t let the smile or the "Sexy Dexy" nickname fool you: Lawrence is a bad, bad man on the football field.
And make no mistake: that's under normal circumstances.
Make him angry, like Pro Football Focus did by insinuating that Cowboys rookie center Cooper Beebe outplayed Lawrence in their Thursday Night Football encounter without mentioning the Giants' star was doubled and tripled all night, and well, the Seahawks paid for it.
"When he's seeing red, there's no one stopping him," Rogers said.
Comparing Lawrence and Donald at the same age
In addition to his six sacks - already two more than he had last year - Lawrence has 16 tackles (10 solos), four tackles for loss and 10 quarterback hits. Let's compare that to Donald, the best defensive lineman of his generation, at the same point in their careers.
Through five games of the 2017 season, Donald - then 26 - had two sacks, 14 tackles (10 solos), five tackles for loss and 10 quarterback hits. He finished the year with 11 sacks and 91 quarterback pressures en route to winning his first of three NFL Defensive Player of the Year awards.
How far can Lawrence take his start to this season? He isn't looking beyond Sunday night against the Bengals.
"It’s all about being present and keeping your eyes where they need to be, not wasting a moment to get better or to grow," Lawrence said. "Because if you focus on something else other than now, there’s a chance you will be disappointed. I have something to prove every week. My job is to dominate. There's a lot to my game that you haven't seen yet."
He paused before adding with a smile: "But they will."
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: 'Give them what they want': Giants star Dexter Lawrence reveals a secret to his dominance
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