Dexter Lawrence showed Bengals again 'why you go get a guy like that'
· Yahoo Sports
Joe Burrow’s assessment of Dexter Lawrence II’s impact on the Cincinnati Bengals win over the Tennessee Titans was simple.
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“That’s why you go get a guy like that,” Burrow said.
The Bengals on Nov. 1 narrowly escaped being upset at Paycor Stadium by a one-win Titans team in a 43-36 victory, and that was due in large part to Lawrence, the organization’s marquee offseason acquisition. Lawrence’s presence has paid dividends for Cincinnati (5-2), but his biggest game so far in a Bengals uniform was against the Titans.
Lawrence had seven tackles. One was to assist Demetrius Knight Jr. inside Tennessee’s end zone. The play resulted in a safety and a 23-21 Bengals lead late in the third quarter.
With the game tied at 36 late in regulation and the Titans driving near midfield for a possible game-winning field goal, Lawrence wrapped up quarterback Cam Ward for a sack. Celebrating fans caused the building to shake as Lawrence’s sack pushed Tennessee back 13 yards, ending the threat and essentially sending the game to overtime.
“A field goal wins it for them. They could probably kick it at that point,” Bengals head coach Zac Taylor said. “Dexter’s able to win. Get him on the ground. Not let him out of his grasp. Not let him throw the ball away, and see if they can’t try something really long. … That’s why you trade for a guy like that, and he’s stepped up and been the impact player we hoped he would be.”
Once in overtime and with a 43-36 lead, Lawrence helped push the Bengals’ defensive line forward as it hurried and hassled Ward into a fourth-down incompletion to clinch the win.
Lawrence helped erase aspects of a flawed Bengals performance that will be nitpicked in the week to come. Cincinnati spotted its opponent an early 13-0 lead for the second week in a row, along with committing four turnovers and eight penalties. But the Bengals are still one of a dwindling number of two-loss teams left in the NFL, and they kept pace in the AFC North race that the Pittsburgh Steelers are leading at 6-2.
A week earlier, the Bengals’ imperfections were buried by a second-half aerial assault that produced a 35-13 road win against the Baltimore Ravens. The Nov. 1 game didn’t have the seem redeeming qualities, and it was not an altogether satisfying victory but still served a purpose.
“I think this game was just showing us that we can be mentally strong through the ups and downs of the game,” Lawrence said. “Through the change of possessions, through the change of leads, going into overtime. (It) allowed us to understand who we can be. Most of the games in the NFL are close, so to win games like this is big.”
Multiple players agreed afterward that Cincinnati needs to play a cleaner game, but they won one that likely would have slipped away in years past during the team’s playoff drought.
“We found a way to win today. We’re 5-2,” Burrow said. “We lose that game for the last three years. It’s hard to win. You want to be great snap-in, snap-out, but it’s not the reality of it. All we can do is keep working hard and get better.”
Cincinnati next plays the Atlanta Falcons on Nov. 8 in Madrid.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Dexter Lawrence showed Bengals again 'why you go get a guy like that'