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With 2.5 sacks against the Packers – which would have been have been 3.5 had teammate William Jackson reached the sideline a half second sooner to avoid a penalty for 12-men on the field – Lawson became the first rookie since 2002 and 11th overall to record at least 2.5 sacks in one of the first three games of his career.
He had two of the five sacks the Bengals recorded against Rodgers in the first half but splitting one with Chris Smith in the third quarter.
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Lawson talked about his big day, and the next big challenge in facing a future Hall of Famer in Cleveland’s Joe Thomas on Sunday, for this week’s Bengals High 5:
Q: After coming close to recording a sack in the first two games, what did it do for your confidence to finally get a quarterback on the ground Sunday?
A: It means a lot. But there were some things in the game that I didn't do so hot on. That's the beauty of the sport, there's always room for constant improvement. There's always guys who are hungry. Everybody's out here working and competing and trying to be at the top of the food chain.In this sport you can't pat yourself on the back. You've just got to keep going and keep pushing and maybe congratulate yourself if you reach your goals at the end of the season. But each week you've got to be thinking, "I've got to get better."
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Q: Did you think it should have been 3.5 sacks?
A: I thought it should have stayed, but it is what it is. That's unfortunate. It's just one of those things that sucks. You don't want to give up sacks. All you can do is keep working on your craft.
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Q: When players score their first touchdown or get their first interception, they usually keep the ball. Did it bum you out that you couldn't ask for the ball after your first sack?
A: I know what I did. I'll be able to tell my kids about it. Aaron Rodgers definitely will be a (Hall of Famer), so that will be cool.
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Q: What was the biggest challenge in playing against Rodgers?
A: I don't think anybody will have a cadence like Rodgers. That's the epitome of cadences. Two seconds left (on the play clock) and it's a triple cadence. That's edgy. If you're going to have a triple cadence with two seconds and not worry about running the clock, he did it (on the 72-yard pass in overtime that set up the game-winning field goal).
He’s in sync with his offensive line and team and center. I don’t think they’ll be anybody better than that. It was a good play. As a rusher you kind of want to have an idea of what the clock is like. When I came back and watched the film, I was like, all right that happened with two seconds left. It was a double cadence. He’s got be snapping the ball. But no. Triple with two seconds left.
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Q: How does it feel to go from sacking one future Hall of Famer in Rodgers to trying to beat one in Joe Thomas this weekend?
A: I've seen Joe Thomas before. Now I get to play him. It's an honor. He's a great player, a very good representative of the league and what it stands for. His greatness speaks to what a pro is and how he goes about his business. It will be an honor just to play against him. It excites me to go against him. But I'm excited to play against everybody. It's a gladiator sport. You just have to compete against whoever you're going against.
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