Prior to the upcoming “Monday Night Football” home game against the 6-6 Green Bay Packers, Don “Wink” Martindale, the defensive coordinator for the New York Giants, insisted that head coach Brian Daboll and he are in agreement.
During a Friday press conference, Martindale stated, “We’re fine,” regarding his relationship with Daboll, according to Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post. “It’s the same as it was the previous year. Just because we were winning more games makes it different.”
When Fox Sports NFL insider Jay Glazer revealed in late November that Martindale and Daboll were in such a “bad place” during the team’s 3-8 record that they could decide to split up following the season or even before Week 18, it caused some eyebrows to raise. Then, before New York’s bye, the Giants improved to 4-8 with a 10-7 victory over the New England Patriots.
According to Darryl Slater of NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, Martindale said, “When you’re 4-8 instead of 8-4, things like that come up.” When someone says something, there’s nothing you can do about it. Nothing bad has occurred in that regard between Martindale and Daboll. Here, we’re constructing something. I believe you just need to maintain your attention on that.”
Before the team break, Daboll had already shot down the Glazer story and made it plain that he would no longer be discussing it in public until later. A more lighthearted approach was adopted by Martindale prior to the weekend.
“Every time my key card works, it’s not like I go, ‘Yeah!’ I’ll [instead] be like, ‘Hey, this son of a [gun] doesn’t work anymore,'” Martindale chuckled. “I don’t choose to do that. So I’m unable to respond to that query.”
The 60-year-old Martindale also expressed his desire to play offseason football with the Giants.
Given that as of Friday afternoon, the Giants’ chances of making the playoffs were still 0.1% according to the ESPN Football Power Index, Daboll and his staff have more pressing concerns.
Oddschecker had Big Blue down 6.5 points against the Packers at that same moment.
The Giants defense started Friday ranked 26th in terms of points allowed per game (24.3) and 28th in the NFL in terms of yards allowed per game (364.3), according to ESPN stats.
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