CINCINNATI — The Bengals did not acquire Dexter Lawrence II simply to improve their defensive line. They brought him to Cincinnati to establish a standard.
On Wednesday, the Bengals released a video of Lawrence mic’d up during Sunday’s 20-6 victory over the Houston Texans. He certainly delivered on the field, generating five pressures and helping produce a fourth-down stop during Cincinnati’s best defensive performance in years.
The video shows that his larger impact cannot be measured entirely through tackles, pressures or a Pro Football Focus grade—though he did grade out as the top defensive lineman in the league. Lawrence is constantly engaged with the people around him, friend or foe, carrying himself like someone who expects the defense to control the game rather than merely survive it.
As you’ll see—and hear—Lawrence is not simply playing defensive tackle for the Bengals. He is helping redefine what their defense expects from itself:
