Dexter Lawrence keeps forcing opponents to dig deeper into the playbook, and the Steelers went there in a big way Sunday.
Even in a Week 3 loss to Pittsburgh, the Cincinnati Bengals defensive tackle still left his mark with two sacks and three tackles for loss. That came in a game where Steelers running back Jaylen Warren rushed for 127 yards, including an 87-yard run that was wiped out by what the source described as a ticky-tack holding penalty.
What stood out most, though, was how Pittsburgh tried to handle Lawrence. The Steelers leaned on double teams, but they also used a more unusual tactic that had Lawrence hopping backward on one foot after one of the blockers, most often guard Mason McCormick, grabbed and lifted his leg. A clip of the approach drew attention online, with the question: "New technique or illegal?"
The move doesn’t just look ugly. It also fits the description of a foul as written in the source material: "Use his hands or arms to materially restrict or alter the defender's path or angle of pursuit.
It is a foul regardless of whether the blocker's hands are inside or outside the frame of the defender's body. Material restrictions include but are not limited to: grabbing or tackling an opponent; hooking, jerking, twisting, or turning him; or pulling him to the ground."
By that standard, McCormick appears to run through several lines at once. The technique described in the source involves "hooking" the leg outside the defender’s frame, using hands or arms to restrict movement, and pulling him down.
Lawrence wasn’t the only Bengals defensive tackle who dealt with it, either; T.J. Slaton and Jonathan Allen also saw the same tactic.
McCormick later told Steelers reporter Chris Adamski that he had used the move before. "I've used it here and there in the past.: McCormick said. "Yeah, I just used it."
The Steelers clearly decided that standard double teams weren’t enough after watching Lawrence wreck the Week 2 win over the Houston Texans. Even with all the attention he draws, the source notes that Lawrence is in a league of his own in terms of double teams, and Pittsburgh still felt compelled to go further.
For Cincinnati, the problem goes beyond one game. Lawrence can be seen appealing to the officials, apparently asking them to watch the technique, but nothing changed. The source also points to a broader issue: Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow ranks last among 34 NFL quarterbacks in EPA gained through defensive penalties.
That matters because if other teams see a workable path and believe they can get away with it, they may copy it. Without help from the officials, Cincinnati has to find another answer.
The source suggests a few possibilities, including reducing the number of double teams Lawrence sees and moving him away from the nose tackle spot, while also using stunts to free him up. But those approaches come with their own risks.
And above all, the Bengals need to keep Lawrence safe. The bigger concern is simple: making sure he doesn’t end up carrying too much weight on one planted knee and get hurt while opposing linemen pile on.
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