Defensive Lineman Dexter Lawrence
Q: Can you imagine going eight (seasons) without the playoffs?
A: No, I can't. (Laughs)
Q: How about some of the younger guys? Like (outside linebacker) Kayvon (Thibodeaux) comes in, not to say he's taking it for granted. But you always hear stories that some of the young guys come in and make the playoffs right away, and they think it's the norm.
A: I think he kind of felt what we felt. This is my fourth year, first playoff. And he looks up to guys like me and Leo (defensive lineman Leonard Williams). So, he kind of felt like, 'Oh, damn. It's been this long.' And he's kind of seen it's not easy to win. He's kind of embracing that and accepting that. I think he's been more locked in this week knowing the ultimate goal.
Q: He seems like a guy, just to stay on KT for a second, he seems like a guy who is very aware of the stage he's on and thrives on that.
A: That's kind of what I was saying, he's embracing this moment. He understands this doesn't happen all the time. It's not a consistent thing that happens. So, he's kind of understanding, he's taking our role in this and our part in this and understanding that this is for all of the marbles, and each week it's limited. We've got to go take advantage of it.
Q: With X (safety Xavier McKinney) and maybe (cornerback) Adoree' (Jackson) back this week, are you guys getting excited about what you can do on defense?
A: Yeah, just to have leaders on defense back, starters, it builds more confidence for everybody around. To have those guys back, they make some big plays for us. It's huge.
Q: (Defensive coordinator) Wink (Martindale) was saying he thinks the defense is getting into playoff form or is just about in playoff form.
A: Yeah, guys are getting healthy. I think this might be the first game of the season we've got all (our) starters playing at once. So, that's big. I think we're excited for that.
Q: What have you appreciated the most about Wink? How has he gotten the best out of you guys?
A: I think his leadership. He comes in and continues to remind us that this is our defense. He just calls the plays and helps us learn how to embrace moments with each other, because everything's going to be different next year. Don't wait until next year. Dominate this year.
Q: From the outside, it seems like it would be a lot of fun to play an attacking style of defense. Is it, and why is that?
A: It is fun because it's not just one person making plays. It's the whole defense making plays and guys you love to play with making plays. It's good to see the different excitement levels and different celebrations. It's fun. Those things kind of build along that attacking-style defense.
