If you just watched the box score of the Cincinnati Bengals’ Week 1 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, you wouldn’t think Dexter Lawrence II did very much. If you watched the game, however, you saw that the Bengals’ blockbuster trade for the defensive tackle already looks like a massive success.
Lawrence was double-teamed on 80% of his snaps, per PFF, which helped open things up for his teammates. Those teammates sacked Baker Mayfield four times and contributed to four fumbles forced and recovered.
The attention Lawrence requires impacts the game far beyond the stat sheet.
Ahead of Sunday’s matchup with the Houston Texans, Texans general manager Nick Caserio gave Lawrence his due praise and even compared him to an NFL legend at his position: Former Patriots All-Pro Vince Wilfork.
“I think the Vince (Wilfork) comparison is probably pretty apt, just their athleticism. He’s a massive problem. When he’s going vertically, it’s hard to contain him,” Caserio said. “He’s been double-teamed more than any defensive tackle in the league. He presents a lot of problems. He has a very unique playing style. He and Vince have some similar attributes.
“Those are two rare players with that kind of size to move the way they do.”
Similar to Lawrence, Wilfork didn’t always stuff the stat sheet, but his impact on the game was felt each and every snap. Wilfork spent the 2015 and 2016 seasons with Houston, so Caserio got a close-up look at the dominance a player like that is capable of.
The Bengals will be counting on Lawrence to have another dominant performance this week if they want to upset the Texans on the road and if they get it, the Bengal defense could give C.J. Stroud fits.
