New York Giants All-Pro nose tackle Dexter Lawrence (hip) and edge rusher Brian Burns (Achilles, groin) are off the injury report and good to go for Monday night’s game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The Giants are a struggling team at 2-5 right now, but they do excel at getting after the quarterback. The G-Men lead the NFL in sacks with 31. Lawrence leads the league in sacks with nine, which is unheard of for a nose tackle. Burns also has four sacks and eight quarterback hits on the season.
The Giants have a 12.6% sack rate on defense so far this season. That’s the highest sack rate since 2001 for any team through seven games, according to ESPN’s Bill Barnwell. Pittsburgh’s offense is 29th in pressure rate allowed and 32nd over the past four weeks. New York’s 4.4 sacks per game is the highest in the NFL and over the past three games they average 5.3, per Matt Williamson of Steelers.com.
Steelers center Ryan McCollum will have a massive task on Monday night in trying to block Lawrence.
Lawrence has been double-teamed on 63.3% of his pass rushes this season, the highest rate faced by any player since at least 2018 (min. 100 pass rushes), according to Next Gen Stats.
Lawrence is currently in the running for NFL Defensive Player of the Year with T.J. Watt. Will Anderson Jr. and Chris Jones.
“Dexter Lawrence is a problem,” Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said during his weekly Tuesday press conference. “He’s a problem in the running game. He’s a problem in the passing game. I think he leads the league in sacks but he’s just a dominant, dominant player.”
Lawrence is a rare pass rushing talent but you don't sacrifice any run stopping ability.
Anchors versus double teams, controls blocks, sheds guys to make stops.
I am trying to think of a comparison for him but I'm not sure that there is one. pic.twitter.com/Ym82DavPdC
— Derrick (@Steelers_DB) October 24, 2024
The Steelers will have to provide help for McCollum. If they leave him on an island, it’s going to be a long night.
Lawrence was a first-round pick by the Giants in the 2019 NFL Draft out of Clemson. He earned second-team All-Pro honors in each of the last two years, but this year his game has reached a new level.
Tomlin reflected on when he took Lawrence and Christian Wilkins out for dinner during the pre-draft process.
“I remember I took those guys out to dinner when he came out of Clemson a number of years back, and I was sitting having conversation with him and Christian Wilkins, and they were sitting on the love seat. And that love seat was really crowded and Christian Wilkins looked really small. And we all know Christian is not small,” Tomlin recalled. “You’re not gonna get a lot done unless you’re prepared to put four hands on [Lawrence]. Guys like Ryan McCollum, who are getting an opportunity to ascend and play, it’s gonna be a significant challenge, but we better do more than wish Ryan McCollum luck.”
Right tackle Jermaine Eluemunor (hip) is questionable but he expects to play. Cornerback Cor’Dale Flott (groin) is doubtful, while CB Tre Hawkins (ankle) is questionable and CB Adoree Jackson (neck) is out. Punter Jamie Gillan (hamstring) will also be out.