Week 7 marks the first time that former New York Giants superstar running back Saquon Barkley will return to MetLife Stadium and play in front of Big Blue fans — and star defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence couldn’t help but smirk when asked if he thinks Barkley will get booed on Sunday afternoon.
“No telling [what they’ll do],” Lawrence began with a devilish smile, before adding: “Honestly, I think he did a lot of good for this organization, but we’ve got some tough fans and they’re going to bring him in however they feel is right by them.”
The big game-wrecking defender did note that he personally “appreciates” what Barkley meant to him as a friend and teammate, but he was less confident that the fanbase would be so forgiving — and Lawrence appears to be right about that.
On October 16, ESPN NYG beat reporter Jordan Raanan polled the fanbase on whether or not they would boo Barkley in Week 7.
The final results were an overwhelming, “yes, of course.” According to 7,755 voters, 88.7% expect that Giants fans in attendance will boo Barkley for joining the division rival Philadelphia Eagles, along with everything that’s transpired since.
As for Lawrence, friendship only goes so far once you step out onto the football field.
“Sunday is war,” Lawrence concluded with a smirk. “He knows that.”
Dexter Lawrence Plans on Tackling Saquon Barkley for Losses When Giants Face Eagles in Week 7
Although Lawrence was very clear that he and Barkley have remained friends since his departure — the Eagles RB even attended his recent wedding — he wasn’t shy about letting his competitiveness show while speaking with reporters on October 16.
“It depends on the tackle,” Lawrence responded, when asked if it’s more fun to bring down a former teammate. “If it’s a tackle for a loss, then yeah. If he knocks me back a little bit for a couple of gains, then no. But I plan on more tackles for losses.”
The massive team leader was not willing to say that facing Barkley is any more emotional than anyone else, but he did admit that any matchup with the Eagles tends to be.
“I’ve been against other guys that [were] here and went somewhere else,” he said. “At the end of the day, it’s football. You gotta beat whoever [is] in front of you and this week it’s the Eagles. That’s the gameplan and I’m excited to compete against Saquon [Barkley] for a full game and just put my will on him a little bit.”
Barkley got off to a hot start in Philadelphia, but he’s slowed down the past couple of weeks with back-to-back outings where he’s failed to reach 100 yards on the ground. In Week 6 against the Cleveland Browns, Barkley was actually held to a season-low of 47 rushing yards and just 2.6 yards per carry.
Giants’ Dexter Lawrence & Brian Burns Say They Are Good to Go Ahead of Eagles Matchup
Despite missing a couple of practices, Lawrence and star defensive end Brian Burns both dismissed the idea of them missing Week 7.
“I’m good, I’m where I’m at after every week,” Lawrence (hip) said with a smile. He attributed not practicing on Wednesday to “resting.”
Raanan also reported that Burns (groin) said he’s “good” on October 16, and that there is “no doubt [that] he’s playing on Sunday vs. [the] Eagles.”
Lawrence and Burns missed practice again on Thursday, but assuming both players are being truthful, there should be nothing to worry about. More concerning are the statuses of punter Jamie Gillan (left hamstring) and cornerback Adoree’ Jackson (neck), who have also missed consecutive practices heading into Friday of Week 7.
Like Heavy.com’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy.com
The post Giants’ Dexter Lawrence Gets Brutally Honest With Saquon Barkley About NYG Fans appeared first on Heavy.com.