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Giants DL Dexter Lawrence II Says “Soft” Comment Was Taken Out of Context

New York Giants defensive lineman Dexter Lawrence II claims his postgame comments following the Giants' 30-7 loss to the Bucs Sunday were taken out of context.

Patricia Traina

Nov 8, 2024; Munich, Germany; New York Giants defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence II (97) during press conference at the FC Bayern Munchen training grounds at Sabener Strasse.
Nov 8, 2024; Munich, Germany; New York Giants defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence II (97) during press conference at the FC Bayern Munchen training grounds at Sabener Strasse. / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
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New York Giants defensive lineman Dexter Lawrence, who understandably was frustrated over being part of a 30-7 throttling Sunday at the hands of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to the point where he opened his postgame press briefing saying that he thought the team played soft, emphasized that he didn't call the team soft, but rather how it played in the loss.

“About the soft thing– I think (the media) need to be held accountable for how you put it out there,” he said Tuesday after the team’s walk-through practice. 

“I didn't say, ‘We are soft,’ as a team. I think I said we ‘played’ that way. We lost 30-7. That's not okay. We're in the NFL. So, for you all to put the message out that way is not okay, as well, and should be held accountable for that.”

Lawrence’s comments appear to have been correctly reported in content by the local beat writers but were blown out of proportion by some who might not have been present when he spoke.

That said, Lawrence's overall message about the Giants needing to play better and make the plays they're currently not making still holds true.

“We’ve just got to finish plays. I think we’ve got to stop beating ourselves on critical downs,” Lawrence said. “When we’re backed up, we've got to win those, third and shorts and third downs. We've got to win those. Just those ‘got to have it’ plays, we’ve got to get.”

So how do they do that despite the circumstances of a six-game losing streak?

“At that point, I think it's more just understanding your, ‘Why?’ Why you play this game,” he said.  “It's a pride thing. Understanding who you do it for and why you do it. I think that's the most important thing.

“You can easily, at this point in the season, give up, per se. But I think it's goals that you have in life that you’ve got to obtain and think about.”

The Giants hope to get more ‘gotta have it’ plays starting Thursday when they head to Dallas for a Thanksgiving date with the Cowboys. Lawrence said he’s been encouraged by how the team has prepared for that game this week. 

“We came out today with good energy,” he said, noting that he didn’t see many mistakes made in the Tuesday walkthrough. “We came out today embracing this moment that we have and that we get to go play on Thanksgiving. So, we're excited about that.”

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Patricia Traina
PATRICIA TRAINA

Patricia Traina has covered the New York Giants for 30+ seasons, and her work has appeared in multiple media outlets, including The Athletic, Forbes, Bleacher Report, and the Sports Illustrated media group. As a credentialed New York Giants press corps member, Patricia has also covered five Super Bowls (three featuring the Giants), the annual NFL draft, and the NFL Scouting Combine. She is the author of The Big 50: The Men and Moments that Made the New York Giants. In addition to her work with New York Giants On SI, Patricia hosts the Locked On Giants podcast. Patricia is also a member of the Pro Football Writers of America and the Football Writers Association of America.

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