New York Giants fans weren’t shy about booing their own team on Sunday, showering MetLife Stadium with disapproval throughout a season-opening 28-6 loss to the Minnesota Vikings. Star defensive lineman Dexter Lawrence, meanwhile, said afterward he doesn’t “respect” the hostility of the home crowd, while also acknowledging the widespread frustration over the team’s struggles.
“Did I hear the fans?” Lawrence told reporters, repeating a question about Sunday’s booing crowd. “However many fans there are? Could I hear them? Can you get another question, please? … I mean, I don’t respect it, honestly. I get it. They wanna see their team win. It’s a rough patch. But I mean, it just is what it is.”
So, in essence, the two-time Pro Bowler is playing both sides here: He understands why Giants fans would boo, but he doesn’t like it. Which is a common sentiment among players, to be clear. It’s a fine line to walk, admitting to on-field failures while failing to endorse fans’ vocal displeasure with the product.
The deeper concern for Giants fans might actually be Lawrence’s characterization of the team’s issues as a “rough patch.” Yes, the 2024 season has just begun, and an 0-1 hole is not impossible from which to emerge. New York, however, has either missed the playoffs or posted a losing record in 10 of its last 11 seasons, and the current leadership pairing of coach Brian Daboll and quarterback Daniel Jones has resulted in a combined record of 15-19-1 since the start of 2022.
Lawrence has been one of the few positive difference-makers for the Giants during that time, emerging as one of the NFL’s top interior defenders in recent years. The former first-round draft pick had three tackles and a sack against the Vikings in Sunday’s defeat.
