New York Giants defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence didn’t hide his feelings about the controversial roughing the passer penalty he received late in Sunday’s playoff win at the Minnesota Vikings.
“Uh, yeah, I don’t know how else to tackle a quarterback,” Lawrence told Steve Politi of NJ Advance Media for NJ.com shortly after the 31-24 victory. “I’m just going to keep rushing him and getting after him. I can’t let that penalty affect my rush or the team, so I just had to keep going.”
Lawrence added that the referees offered no explanation for why a flag was thrown.
The Giants were leading by seven points with roughly 2:30 remaining in regulation when Lawrence brought Minnesota quarterback Kirk Cousins down as Cousins got rid of the football to avoid a sack. The play initially seemed clean to many watching at home, but replays showed Lawrence likely drew the penalty because he made contact with Cousins’ helmet.
