The full weight of the Giants’ season could be resting on the broad shoulders of Leonard Williams and Dexter Lawrence.
Facing a Commanders offensive line that has allowed an NFL-worst 34 sacks is a script drawn up favorably for the two highest-paid players on the Giants’ defense to justify their contracts.
If Williams and Lawrence really are the core of the league’s best interior defensive line — as ESPN’s rankings declared before the season — time is running out for the Giants (1-5) to prove it.
“We know that the team goes as we go, the defense goes as we go,” Lawrence told The Post. “It’s always on us. It’s no pressure because it’s something that we take honor to.”
Williams, who is on the final year of a three-year, $63 million contract, has more on the line than Lawrence, who is signed for $98.25 million through 2027, considering that he could be traded as a half-season rental by month’s end if things do not turn around.
Williams has just three sacks in 20 total games under defensive coordinator Wink Martindale after a breakthrough 11.5 sacks in 2020 under predecessor Patrick Graham earned him the big extension.
“Playing in different systems definitely affects guys,” Williams told The Post. “Pat Graham did a good job of knowing what type of player I was and putting me in the right position, but he also played a little bit of favoritism with me in a way. I was always one of P.G.’s favorite guys, whereas in this system Dex did really well, so he’s one of the favorites.
“It’s not bad at all. It’s a good thing. I love to see Dex thriving, and I’ll take what I get and make the best of it.”
Martindale called Williams “a selfless player.”
But selfless doesn’t equal dominant.
The Giants need dominance.
Now.
“I think I definitely am,” Williams said.
Williams already has been traded once at the deadline on the final year of his contract — from the Jets to the Giants in 2019.
He will be owed $11 million for the rest of the season after Sunday, which has cued trade speculation.
“Honestly, I’m unaffected by it,” Williams said. “I want to be here. I want to play with all these guys. I’m obviously familiar with my teammates and coaches and the system. But, I don’t know, as I’m getting older and I know the business now, it just really doesn’t affect me. If it happens, that’s my job.”
For now, it’s Williams’ job — and Lawrence’s, too — to pressure Commanders first-year starting quarterback Sam Howell.
“This is definitely a game we are looking forward to,” Williams said. “A lot of teams we’ve played so far have been getting the ball out fast and trying to eliminate me and Dex from affecting their offense. This is one of those teams — we’re in Week 7 now — and we’re finally able to do something against a team. We have been studying our a– off.”
Lawrence (21 pressures, five quarterback hits, zero sacks) is Pro Football Focus’ fourth-highest graded pass-rushing defensive tackle and Williams (13 pressures, three quarterback hits, 0.5 sack) is No. 14.
But where are the splash plays?
Well, playing from behind — as the Giants have for the bulk of the first six games — is not conducive to pass-rushing.
“What bothers me is the losing,” Lawrence said. “The numbers will come when they come. I’m never stressing over numbers. I affect the game in a lot of ways. I’m going to keep doing that. If the perfect play comes, that’s a sack. Everything has to click.”
Long playoff odds — only three NFL teams since 1970 have made the playoffs after a 1-5 start — would get even longer with a loss Sunday.
Only the 1970 Bengals went from 1-6 to the playoffs.
It was slightly more than one year ago — before a surprise ride to the playoffs — that the close friends Lawrence and Williams shared the realization that if they wanted to remain teammates much longer, the Giants had to start winning games.
Suddenly, it has never been truer to avoid breaking up the band.
“We haven’t really thought about that, for real,” Lawrence said. “We’re just trying to win and beat our man — and help each other win and beat their man.”
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