The Giants’ injured defensive stars plan to play Sunday against the Eagles

Defensive lineman Dexter Lawrence II and outside linebacker Brian Burns are two of the most important members of the team’s defense, but they simply are sickly with injuriesLawrence with a hip problem and Burns with a groin problem.

However, don’t expect either of them to sit down and coddle themselves come Sunday’s big NFC East matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles.

“Just rest, man, just rest,” said Lawrence, who was listed with a hip problem. “I’m fine. After every week I’m where I am.”

“I play,” Lawrence added.

That’s good news considering Lawrence leads the team with 7.0 sacks, which ranks second in the league. The inside linebacker, who has four sacks in his last two games, has been a big challenge throughout his career.

Opponents usually reach for Lawrence’s replacement when he comes off the field for a breather. Therefore, it would be beneficial to know that there is a good chance that he will be available for around 80% of the team’s defensive attacks.

Meanwhile, Burns, who is dealing with a groin issue that first surfaced in Week 2, is also determined to be on the field on Sunday.

“It’s one of those things that happened earlier, at the beginning of the season,” he said. “It’s just something I deal with. Something I have to fight through.”

When asked if he could play on Sunday, Burns nodded yes.

Burns may not have impressive stats yet, but he has made his impact on the defense felt by helping open things up for others.

Burns currently ranks third on the team with six quarterback hits, but is tied for first with five tackles for loss and second with three sacks.