Key members of the New York Giants‘ coaching staff may be at a boiling point, as an on-air report by FOX’s Jay Glazer suggested that there are tensions building between head coach Brian Daboll and defensive coordinator Wink Martindale.
Glazer added that there is an increased likelihood that the coaching pair will be split at season’s end and that the two are currently in a “bad place” amidst a dreadful season.
It has been a frustrating season for the Giants
It has been a season of frustrations for the Giants in 2023, which has spread throughout the locker room, evident by safety Xavier McKinney’s comments that questioned the coaching staff’s leadership skills earlier this month. Those comments left Martindale feeling “hurt.”
Now, it would appear those frustrations are spilling into the hands of the key members of the coaching staff.
The Giants’ offense has been dreadful; the defense has stepped up
The Giants entered Sunday’s contest against the New England Patriots at 3-8 on the season with the league’s worst offense. Entering Sunday, they averaged an NFL-worst 13.5 points per game. Defensively, they have had an up-and-down season overall but have played better of late, including a six-takeaway game against the Commanders last week.
They went on to secure the win over the Patriots, primarily due to the stellar play of their defense once again. Martindale’s unit forced three turnovers and held New England to just one score in the 10–7 victory.
With the immense struggles on offense, it is no wonder that Daboll and Martindale are not on the same page. Martindale was a finalist for the vacant Colts’ head coaching position last offseason but opted to return to the Giants under Daboll after failing to get the job in Indianapolis.
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Can their relationship be fixed?
It would now appear that Martindale will once again have the opportunity to take the next step, but unfortunately for the Giants, this rift between the pair indicates that they will likely lose a significant piece of their coaching staff after the season.
Whether or not their relationship is damaged beyond repair is to be seen, but nevertheless, things are trending in the wrong direction for them.
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