When the New York Giants played the Dallas Cowboys Thursday, most of the focus was on their offensive struggles in quarterback Drew Lock's first start of the season.
That line of thinking masked considerable struggles on defense for New York—and the eventual loss of the team's star on that side of the ball.
Giants defensive lineman Dexter Lawrence was ruled out for the remainder of the contest with an elbow injury, New York announced Thursday.
Lawrence, 27, left having recorded two total tackles. The Clemson product has racked up nine sacks this season—the most of his career and the sixth-most in the NFL.
In 2022 and 2023, Lawrence combined for 12 sacks and made back-to-back Pro Bowls.
INJURY UPDATE: DL Dexter Lawrence (elbow) is OUT for the remainder of the game.
— Dan Salomone (@Dan_Salomone) November 29, 2024
Despite his dominance, the Giants rank in the bottom half of the NFL in both scoring and total defense. They haven't cracked the top 16 in either category since 2020, when they ranked ninth in scoring defense and 12th in total defense.
New York is scheduled to meet the New Orleans Saints next, on Dec. 8.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Giants Lose DL Dexter Lawrence for Remainder of Game at Cowboys With Elbow Injury.
