Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor said he’s never seen a play like defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence II‘s leap and stop of Dolphins quarterback Malik Willis‘ first-quarter sneak attempt on second-and-goal during the Bengals’ Week 5 win in Miami.
“That was pretty cool,” Taylor told reporters Oct. 12. “Yeah, I want to freeze-frame that, take a picture of it, blow it up and put it in the room somewhere. … Because when you see it, I don’t know how you guys watch it, but off the tape is, it’s like a giant flying squirrel, jumping over the top of the center, which was, it would be terrifying if you were playing quarterback back there. A squirrel, yeah.”
Lawrence has 14 tackles, nine solo, and three sacks. He has been a disrupted force for opposing offenses, frequently attracting double teams.
More: Dexter Lawrence may be Bengals’ missing piece. Dabo Swinney, Daniel Jones, others reveal why
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CBS studio analyst and former NFL offensive lineman Kyle Long shared his opinion during the week about a video clip of Steelers offensive lineman Mason McCormick grabbing Lawrence‘s leg and lifting it off the ground while trying to contain Lawrence in Week 3.
In addition, Steelers receiver DK Metcalf yelled at Lawrence after a brief skirmish between the teams.
The Bengals shared video of a miked-up Lawrence during the team’s Week 2 win against Houston.
Lawrence did his signature “Sexy Dexy” dance during introductions at Paycor Stadium before the team’s NFL Week 1 game against Tampa Bay.
Lawrence was acquired in a trade with the New York Giants for the 10th overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
ESPN talked to league scouts, executives and coaches about their favorite NFL offseason moves, and Jeremy Fowler wrote that one AFC executive thought the Bengals were especially savvy with their acquisition of Lawrence from the Giants.
Lawrence’s one-year, $28-million extension with the Bengals freed up nearly $5M of 2026 cap space, per Spotrac.
Lawrence, who participated in his first Bengals’ minicamp, did his first public “Sexy Dexy” dance during the Bengals’ NFL draft party April 23, four days after walking onto the field at Paycor Stadium for the first time as a Bengal.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Zac Taylor compares Dexter Lawrence to flying squirrel on QB stop