Giants D-Line Coach Andre Patterson Gives Honest Take on Dexter Lawrence's Play

New York Giants defensive line coach Andre Patterson, who works every day with Dexter Lawrence, obviously doesn’t share the opinion of Giants legendary linebacker Carl Banks, who earlier this week alleged that opponents no longer respect the two-time Pro Bowl defensive end.

“He’s [Banks] a great Giant player. But he is not coaching the D-Line or a D-Line player in the National Football League. Players have all kinds of opinions, but that doesn’t mean it’s right,” Patterson told reporters on Friday.

“I’m not putting his opinion down. He has the right to have his opinion. But the bottom line is the players are being evaluated truly by the people that coach them, and the players that play against them.”

"He's a great Giant player. But he is not coaching the D-Line, or a D-Line player in the National Football League. Players have all kinds of opinions, but that doesn't mean it's right."

- Andre Patterson on Carl Banks' Dexter Lawrence comments pic.twitter.com/18P6G5zlF0
— Giants Videos (@SNYGiants) October 31, 2025

Patterson added that Lawrence continues to draw double-team blocks at a high rate, the latest example being last week against the Eagles.

“He played 40 plays. In 40 plays, he got double-teamed 29 times. That’s run and pass,” Patterson said.

“How is that being disrespected? He got double-teamed 29 times. That’s showing respect.”

To Patterson’s point, per NFL+, Lawrence, entering Week 8, had been double-teamed on a league-high 61.2% of his pass rushes this season.

However, unlike last year, he has struggled to be productive on the pass rush, recording seven pressures and no sacks on 209 pass rushes (a career-low 3.3% pressure rate) entering last week’s game.

Therein lies the real question about Lawrence’s season, especially after he recorded 9.0 sacks and 16 quarterback hits in 12 games last year.

One theory that Lawrence shot down this week was that his season-ending elbow injury from last year was still an issue.

Another theory involves what the Giants have asked Lawrence to do this year.

According to PFF’s snap count alignments, Lawrence has lined up in the A-gap 175 times, or an average of 21.8 snaps per game, and less than the average of 27.6 snaps he lined up there in 12 games played last year.

Also, this season, Lawrence has recorded 159 snaps in the B-gap, ten fewer than he played last season.

Patterson said that what Lawrence accomplished last year was “unreal,” given where he plays on the defensive line.

“He’s not a 3-technique that gets one-on-one. He’s trapped right in the middle, and he made a name for himself,” the coach said.

“I get people look at the numbers and say, ‘He’s not playing to the numbers that he had last year.’ That part of it is true. But that does not mean he’s not playing well. I don’t know if people understand that.

“I watch the film every day. If he wasn’t playing well, I would stand right here in front of you and tell you, ‘He ain’t playing well and I’ve got to get him to play better.’ But that’s not the truth.”

The truth, per Patterson, is that Lawrence is playing well.

“I don’t baby my players. I deal in truths,” he insisted. “If you’re not playing well, I get after you, no matter who you are.”

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