Lawrence blasts 'delusional' Giants legend Banks

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Dexter Lawrence handled criticism from New York Giants legend Carl Banks much like he does undersized offensive linemen.

He brushed it aside as if it barely existed, using brute force.

Banks, who is a radio analyst for the Giants, was extremely critical this week of Lawrence on his Bleav podcast with play-by-play announcer Bob Papa. Banks' comments came after New York's 38-20 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday, when Lawrence had three tackles and was credited with half a sack.

"Dexter Lawrence, nobody respects you anymore. Nobody," Banks said, before going on to say the star defensive lineman wasn't playing at the same level as previous seasons.

Lawrence strongly disagreed with Banks' assessment, noting that numbers don't always tell the full story and citing the rate at which he gets double-teamed. That alone spoke of the respect he receives.

"Those are strong words," Lawrence said Wednesday when asked about Banks' criticism. "That's how he feels? F--- it!"

Lawrence is getting doubled at a league-high 74.9% rate on his pass rush opportunities this season. He was doubled-teamed at a 74.5% rate last year.

Banks won a pair of Super Bowls during his 1984-92 stint as a Giants linebacker. It didn't matter to Lawrence that those words came from a player with Banks' pedigree.

Why not?

"He's delusional," Lawrence said.

Lawrence said he thought he was playing well this season. He has 20 tackles (1 for a loss), 0.5 sacks, an interception, 10 initial pressures and 4 quarterback hits. He has a pass rush win rate of 5.4% and run stop win rate of 36.3% through eight games.

The production doesn't quite match the previous season, when Lawrence had 44 tackles, 9 sacks, 18 initial pressures and 16 quarterback hits in 12 games before suffering an elbow injury.

Lawrence isn't using the elbow or a light summer workload as an excuse.

"My elbow is not an issue," he reiterated on multiple occasions.

The double-team numbers seem to indicate that Giants opponents are still putting a lot of resources toward blocking Lawrence, which opens things for other players. New York edge rusher Brian Burns is tied for the NFL lead with 10 sacks.

Defensive line coach Andre Patterson took exception several weeks back to the idea that Lawrence wasn't having the same impact he had in the past.

"Call our opponents. Call everybody we play and ask them if Dexter Lawrence is still playing like Dexter Lawrence," Patterson said. "There's no other D-lineman in this league that gets as many double-teams as he does. Not even close. He gets them on passing downs. The reason that [Burns] is getting the production he's getting and [Abdul Carter] is getting the production he's getting is because they're putting two dudes on Dex.

"So we got two guys getting one-on-ones because they're putting two guys on Dex. And so as a football player, and what he does on Sundays, he's playing like Dex."

It was curious for the harsh words about Lawrence to come from a former Giants player and current team employee.

It took Lawrence and a lot of New York's players by surprise that Banks, who is in the team facility on a fairly regular basis, chose his podcast as the platform to air the criticism.

"I mean, as an in-house guy, maybe it's like a coded message where he's trying to light a fire under Dex, you know what I mean?" middle linebacker Bobby Okereke said. "But for a guy who works in-house, it doesn't take much to find a guy and have a conversation with him one-on-one or get his phone number and call him.

"So I don't necessarily think there's any ill intentions with it. Maybe he's just trying to light a fire or in his own way motivate Dex. But Dex, like I said, is an incredible pro, and if anyone needs to be critical of his play, I think he'd be the first one to step up and do that if it's necessary. So I think Dex is doing a great job, obviously incredible leader for us, inspires a lot of us and he's going to keep being him."

Lawrence, 27, has been named to three Pro Bowl and two All-Pro teams in his seven-year career. He once had quarterback Aaron Rodgers, then with the Green Bay Packers, publicly declare him one of the best players in the league.

Now, he's perhaps getting coded messages from a former player such as Banks. If the lack of production this season eventually means fewer double-teams, Lawrence is all for it.

"Let's say this, I hope people start trying to disrespect me," he said. "Let's say that."