The 70.35% Double-Team Rate That Tanked a Pro Bowl Streak, And What Dexter Lawrence Says About It

Alright, 12s, let's talk about something wild happening in the NFL that’s got some former Emerald City talent right in the middle of it. You remember Dexter Lawrence, right? The dude was a force! But last year was… rough. He went from crushing it with a career-high nine sacks in 2024 to barely registering a blip in 2025 with a measly 0.5 sacks and only eight quarterback hits. Holy smokes, what happened to the dude? His three-year Pro Bowl run vanished into thin air. Now, he’s headed into the 2026 season with a chip on his shoulder and on a brand-new team, the Bengals, alongside none other than our former Seahawk, Boye Mafe. This new D-line is a gamble, and it's all about whether they can unleash Lawrence back to his dominant self.

From Dominance to Doubt: What Happened?

It’s like night and day looking at Lawrence’s stats. One year he’s a beast, racking up nine sacks, making life miserable for QBs. The next, he’s got a career-low 0.5 sacks. That’s a brutal drop. And those eight QB hits? That's also a career low. His Pro Bowl streak, something players work their whole careers for, just stopped cold. But here’s the thing, Lawrence isn't sweating the sack numbers as much as you’d think. He said just a week ago, "I’m more managing it now, because you can’t really beat up on other teams. So during the season you just let it go and you flow. I know how I approach this game and my impact to the game, even when it doesn’t show up on the sack numbers.” That's s

Trade on Every Game with Kalshi

Click Here to sign up to Kalshi — Free $10 when you sign up using our link or use code: ONTAPSEA. The only federally regulated prediction market in the US. Trade on real sports outcomes. Available in all 50 states.

ome serious confidence, or maybe a little bit of denial after a season like that.

The Bengals' Big Bet: Can Mafe and Co. Unleash Lawrence?

So, if the sack numbers don't tell the whole story, what does? Pro Football Focus has a stat that might just explain everything: Dexter Lawrence faced the fifth-highest double-team rate among defensive tackles last season at a staggering 70.35 percent! That’s insane! No wonder his production dipped. Imagine being double-teamed nearly three-quarters of the time. You can’t get to the quarterback when you’re constantly fighting off two blockers. This is where the Bengals' big gamble comes in. They didn’t just grab Lawrence; they completely overhauled their defensive line, bringing in Jonathan Allen, *and* our old friend, former Seahawk Boye Mafe, plus Cashius Howell. The idea is simple: if you load up the D-line with talent, teams can’t double-team everyone. Mafe, who’s now a Bengal himself, knows what Lawrence can do. He said, "We know the caliber of player he is. Having him on our side, it makes it so much easier. It makes everyone’s job around us easier. He’s a calming presence because we have him on our side.” If anyone can appreciate a game-wrecker, it's a fellow pass rusher. This 2026 season is going to be a huge test for Lawrence and this new-look Bengals defense. Can adding more firepower actually free him up? Can he rediscover that Pro Bowl form? We’ll be watching closely to see if this big bet on freeing up a top-tier talent, with a little help from a former Seattle standout, actually pays off in the early games.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.