New York Giants Players Excited by Wink Martindale's More Aggressive Scheme

Wink Martindale is re-writing the book on "aggressiveness" for the Giants defense, and the players love it.

With so much focus on the modernization of the Brian Daboll/Mike Kafka-led New York Giants offense not being your grandfather's offense, overlooked, of sorts, has been the anticipated changes in the team's defense.

Historically, NFL defenses have always been "aggressive," but that "aggressiveness" has taken on different definitions and degrees. For example, under Patrick Graham, the Giants' defensive coordinator for the last two seasons, his form of aggressiveness was mostly generated by the defensive front.

That's all changing under Don "Wink" Martindale, the Giants' new defensive coordinator. Martindale has implemented a blitz-happy defense attack that features more complex looks, including stunts, overloads, and other tactics designed to erase any previous walks in the park that opposing offenses might have enjoyed when facing the Giants.

Another notable change that had been flying under the radar until recently is a shift in the on-field defensive play-caller. Whereas the middle linebacker has typically held that role--Blake Martinez held it for the Giants from 2020 until his season-ending injury in early 2021, and then Tae Crowder held the role--the responsibilities have shifted to safety Xavier McKinney.

That's a very telling shift as it would suggest that McKinney is going to be a player who rarely comes off the field. In contrast, the inside linebacker role, which was previously an every-down staple, will likely see a reduction in its on-field snaps.

“It’s a little different just because last year, obviously, I was calling it,” Crowder said this week about the shift in philosophy. 

“Just having to get the communication from somebody else that’s the only difference. We still are communicating as a defense, and everyone is still talking, so it’s cool.”

Crowder, who is competing for a roster spot after the Giants brought in a pair of inside linebackers in the draft (Micah McFadden and Darrian Beavers), is unlike to come close to his 2021 season totals of 130 tackles (64 solos), three tackles for loss, six passes defended and two interceptions. 

“The competition level is actually at a high level. Everybody is coming to work every day. It feels like everybody wants to get better every day. So, I think that’s the biggest difference of this group, just coming each day and wanting to actually be better than yesterday,” Crowder noted.

That's why Crowder is just as motivated as ever. 

“I feel like each year as a player, you should want to be better than you were last year. I know I did lead the team, but it’s in the past. I’m worried about right now and what we are doing today, so I’m just trying to be a better player.”

Like most defensive coordinators these days, Martindale rarely stays in his 3-4-4 base defense. Instead, he's heavily emphasized playing as many defensive backs as possible, opting for the versatility that today's defensive backs bring in both the run defense and pass coverage.

Last season, Martindale's Ravens defense, despite all its injuries, blitzed 31.1 percent of the time, the sixth-highest percentage in the league, with most of those blitzes came from a 2-4-5 and 1-4-6 look. 

By contrast, the Giants blitzed on 25 percent of their pass rushes, 16th in the league.

Martindale is also likely to ask some of his defensive backs to line up on the line of scrimmage and is not afraid to send two on a blitz, be it on one side of the formation or from either end.  

Crowder likes what Martindale has done so far with the defense--even if it means fewer snaps for him at his position.

“I just feel like he was an aggressive kind of play-caller. I knew it was going to be fun just having him as a coordinator.”

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