Wink Martindale on his way out? Giants’ Brian Daboll downplays reported rift with ‘buddy’
— The drama started early on Sunday.
Ahead of kickoff between the New York Giants and New England Patriots , Fox’s Jay Glazer reported that Giants coach Brian Daboll and defensive coordinator Wink Martindale were in a “bad place” and added that he didn’t see the duo continuing their relationship after the season and that they might even split up before that point.
Interesting start to the day, huh?
Well, it ended with a 10-7 victory over the Patriots and Martindale getting the game ball from Daboll in the postgame locker room. The head coach called the defensive coordinator “buddy,” and Martindale even broke down the locker room huddle.
Postgame speech pic.twitter.com/SwunL7mKzp— New York Giants November 26, 2023
During his postgame remarks, Daboll, unprompted, credited Martindale’s scheming, saying the coordinator did a “fabulous job.” About the reported relationship fracture, Daboll said the biggest argument he’s had with Martindale is over the last slice of pizza.
“I’ve got a lot of respect for Wink,” Daboll said. “He’s a heckuva coach. Glad he’s on the staff.”
While Glazer’s report of “tension” was new, the relationship between Daboll and Martindale has been worth monitoring , especially because the two didn’t have a pre-existing relationship prior to Daboll bringing him in as the Giants’ DC last season.
First, the two coaches have differing personalities and sideline demeanors, with Martindale preferring to remain calm and composed at all times, while Daboll is more fiery. Then there was the response to veteran safety and team captain Xavier McKinney’s postgame criticisms following the Raiders loss. Daboll opted to downplay McKinney’s remarks — which called out coaches for not “letting the leaders lead and (not) listening to the leaders and the captains.” — while Martindale offered a more candid, heartfelt response.
That brewing friction between the two was capped off by their lengthy interaction during the Dallas thrashing. Both said there was nothing to it.
On Sunday, defensive players rallied around their coordinator.
Linebacker Jihad Ward , who has been a favorite of Martindale’s for years, said he hasn’t seen any hatred between the coaches.
“Whatever is out there in the media, that’s saying that Wink and Dabes got beef, that’s bulls—,” Ward said.
Linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux said he “doesn’t acknowledge” things that don’t come from inside the building, adding that, “Wink is a great coach.”
On the Wink Martindale-Brian Daboll tension, #giants Kayvon Thibodeaux says he “doesn’t acknowledge” things that don’t come from inside the building.“Wink is a great coach” pic.twitter.com/EWtk3PSJwV
— Charlotte Carroll November 26, 2023
Cornerback Adoree’ Jackson said he was shocked by the report. Seeing the two every day and watching their body language, Jackson said they’re always laughing and having a good time. Jackson called Martindale a critical part of the defense.
“You could have somebody else come in (and), it could be the same, but at the end of the day that’s like somebody saying, ‘You’re going to have a new stepdad or stepmom,” Jackson said. “I want my daddy. I want my mom. You know what I mean? I don’t want no stepparent.”
Tank watch takes a turn
Sunday’s game may well be talked about for years to come. Not because of the quality. This wasn’t one of those Giants-Patriots games. But because of the massive implications the Giants’ victory could have on their future.
The win now makes them significantly less likely to secure a top-two selection in the upcoming NFL Draft , which could feature some special players.
USC quarterback Caleb Williams and UNC quarterback Drake Maye are talked about as franchise-altering talents who are expected to be available in April. It wasn’t so long ago, that the Giants looked to be in prime position to select one of them, but after Sunday’s win, the Giants are now slated to pick No. 6, according to Tankathon (ahead of Sunday Night Football).
Their odds of getting back to one of those top picks have taken a significant blow.
Entering the game, The Athletic’s Austin Mock still had New York projected as the favorite to land the No. 2 pick. However, after Sunday’s victory, the Giants’ odds of securing either of the top two picks plummeted to 16.7%.
There’s still plenty of season left, and a lot can still change, but you at least have to wonder if the Giants might have been better off losing on Sunday.
The other side, of course, is that there seems to be significant goodwill generated by the competitiveness shown in these last two victories. Giants fans sitting in the rain Sunday erupted when Patriots kicker Chad Ryland missed the potential game-tying kick and sealed the win for the Giants.
There’s also the impact some success can have on relationships within the building and in the locker room.
Takeaway kings
The Giants defense picked up right where it left off following last Sunday’s win over the Commanders . After piling up six takeaways in the 31-19 victory, New York added three more turnovers to its tally against New England. With their nine takeaways over the past two games, the Giants nearly matched their total (10) from the first 10 games of the season.
Impressively, the performance came without star defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence (hamstring), who hadn’t missed a contest due to injury in five seasons. Lawrence left a big void, but the Giants still smothered the Patriots, forcing them to bench starter Mac Jones at halftime in favor of Bailey Zappe .
While the New England quarterback situation was tenuous heading into Sunday, Martindale and the Giants made Jones’ life miserable from the start.
In the first quarter, Deonte Banks found himself in the right spot to pick off a horrible Jones’ throw for his second career interception.
In the second quarter, Jones made yet another poor decision, this time costing the Patriots valuable points. On third-and-4 and well within field goal range, Jones made an errant throw in the face of pressure from Giants linebacker Isaiah Simmons . Fellow linebacker Bobby Okereke snagged the poor throw and returned it 55 yards to set up the Giants’ lone touchdown.
“Instincts are a big part of this game, and I think Wink does a good job of letting me play to those instincts for sure,” Okereke said.
: FOX pic.twitter.com/KmQ0ahyh1S
— New York Giants November 26, 2023
Giants safety Xavier McKinney recorded the Giants’ final interception, picking off Zappe at midfield and returning it to the Patriots’ 32-yard line early in the fourth quarter. The Giants took advantage, with kicker Randy Bullock connecting on what would be the game-winning 42-yard field goal.
DeVito show continues
Undrafted rookie Tommy DeVito is evolving from a feel-good story to a winning NFL quarterback. He’s picked up two wins in his three career starts, with Sunday being his first start at MetLife Stadium.
The New Jersey native had around 200 friends and family in attendance, according to the Fox broadcast. While Sunday wasn’t an offensive masterpiece by either team, DeVito still threw for 191 yards with one touchdown and no turnovers to give the home crowd something to cheer about.
In three starts, DeVito has thrown six touchdown passes and one interception for 523 yards. Before tearing his ACL, Daniel Jones tallied 909 passing yards, two touchdowns and six interceptions in his six games. In seven games, Tyrod Taylor has two passing touchdowns.
Now, the Giants will have to make a quarterback decision as they come out of their bye week ahead of their Week 14 matchup against the Packers . Taylor (ribs) will be eligible to come off injured reserve.
“We’ll have our bye week here,” Daboll said when asked if the DeVito will continue to start when Taylor returns. “We’ll discuss a lot of things, look at a lot of things. So over the next few days, that’s what we’ll do.”
Hyatt’s big day
DEEP to Hyatt!: FOX pic.twitter.com/J8U6zfkZ5g
— New York Giants November 26, 2023
Rookie receiver Jalin Hyatt has some big moments this season, most memorably a 58-yard reception in Week 2 to spark a comeback win in Arizona. Hyatt’s speed is undeniable, and he forces defenses to respect his big-play ability. Still, he’s only been targeted intermittently through the first three months of the season.
But not Sunday. Hyatt was targeted a team-high six times, and he responded with a career-high five catches for 109 yards. Four of those targets came on downfield throws.
Hyatt became the first Giants player to tally 100 receiving yards in a regular-season game since Nov. 20, 2022 — a span of 18 games.
DEEP to Hyatt (pt. 2)!: FOX pic.twitter.com/QiXjCUNQZn
— New York Giants November 26, 2023
“He made plays when they came his way,” Daboll said. “It was big for us. ... I think Tommy’s got a lot of trust in him. Those guys are pretty close. So, you know, that first over was a heck of a throw by Tommy, and he did a great job of getting his depth and getting his feet in. ... He’s making strides. All those young guys are. This is what they’ve got to do towards the end of the year is continue to make progress.”
While playoffs are a long shot, the development of rookies and other young play players over the final five games will be imperative as they try to establish themselves as building blocks for the future.
(Photo: Rich Graessle / Icon Sportswire via Getty Image)
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