Big Giants news For Saturday, 1/6: Brian Daboll, Saquon Barkley, coaching changes, and further headlines

Good morning, New York Giants (+5.5)

Change is coming to the New York Giants’ coaching staff

The most prominent coach on Brian Daboll’s staff, defensive coordinator Wink Martindale, may be playing their final games as Giants.

The Giants would be devastated to lose Martindale because, throughout his two seasons with the club, the seasoned defensive coordinator has performed admirably. On Thursday, Martindale addressed the matter and said that, with the necessary adjustments, he and Daboll could have a positive working relationship.

“I know we’ve got the greatest fans in this league and we’ve got the greatest ownership in this league, and you want to have a winner, you deserve to have a winner, and so whenever you are not winning, how this league works, inevitably, you are going to have conversations, tough conversations,” Martindale said. “How that works out is how that is going to work out.”

“I think that it’s all football related. I think that – like I said, we’ll have those conversations. You have those conversations after this last game and you sit back and you can reflect and you take the emotion out of it, the emotion, the grind, the stress of preparing every week and you sit back, and you talk things out. Say here’s where we are at, so I think that’s natural on every team.”

Other Giant observations

Who could Giants’ Brian Daboll hire to replace Wink Martindale? Most intriguing candidates to watch | NJ.com

Wink Martindale, the defensive coordinator for the Giants, might not return for the upcoming campaign.

Even while nothing is official just yet, it’s important to consider who Brian Daboll’s head coach Brian Daboll might choose to succeed Martindale as he enters his third hot seat season.

Giants’ Mike Kafka, Wink Martindale don’t have head-coaching demand | New York Post

Mark Cannizzaro of The Post discusses how much a year can change:

As the Giants’ season comes to an end on Sunday at MetLife Stadium against the Eagles, offensive coordinator Kafka and defensive coordinator Martindale are presently writhing in the frigid January Meadowlands wind, wondering if they’ll still be with the team come next season. Thomas McGaughey, the coordinator of special teams, is the same.

This is the result of playing on a 5-11 team. That’s what happens when you lose. Everyone is made aware of it. Furthermore, the Giants have struggled this season in all three game phases.

Daboll emphasizing not playing from behind this week

Joe Schoen’s and Brian Daboll’s Giants need to show progress in season finale showing vs. Eagles | New York Daily News

Since team sacks were first recorded in 1963, the 2023 Giants offense has allowed 83 sacks, which is the second-highest total in NFL history. The Giants may finish with fewer than 15 points per game for the first time since 1979 according to their 14.9 PPG average.

They’re down 141-70 and have a 0–4 record versus the Eagles. They are 281-123, 0-8 versus the Eagles and Cowboys. Changes in coordinator are imminent. Errors in game management keep happening and cost games.

In the season finale on Sunday, Joe Schoen and Brian Daboll’s Giants must make some kind of progress.

Why Deonte Banks made an All-Pro promise to NY Giants, NFL | The Record

In addition, the gifted rookie cornerback made a commitment regarding the upcoming season and beyond. He intends to fulfill this promise to both the Giants, who saw his potential early on, and the rest of the NFL, who may currently be undervaluing him. The game takes place at MetLife Stadium on Sunday.

The most essential thing, according to Banks, is to win, but he also wants to demonstrate to NorthJersey.com that he is a talented player. “I think I demonstrated that I always knew I belonged in the league. It’s time to show that I am a fantastic person. My choice is All-Pro. No, I’m not missing any more Pro Bowl rosters. My name is going to be on it next year.”

Giants’ Tommy DeVito starting to plan for first NFL offseason | New York Post

“I’m not sure what I’m gonna do when the season is over,’’ DeVito said. “I’ve talked to [Jones] and Tyrod about what the offseason process is like. Stuff like how long to take off from throwing. I’ve always taken time off, but now it’s your job. In college, it’s more structured. Now, I’ll literally be on my own till OTAs. You have to have a plan and that’s what I’m going to get from the older guys.”

How high can Giants climb in NFL Draft? What does 2024 schedule look like? | The Athletic

The Giants’ 2024 opponents won’t be finalized until after this weekend’s games. As always, the Giants will play each of their division foes twice next season. They’re also scheduled to play all of the teams from the NFC South and AFC North.

The Seahawks are locked into third place in the NFC West, so the Giants will travel to Seattle for that game. Third place in the NFC North is still to be determined between the Green Bay Packers (-3)

(7-9) and the Bears (7-9). The same applies to the AFC South between the Jaguars (9-7), Colts (9-7) and Houston Texans (-1.5)

 (9-7). The Giants, who have nine home games next season, will host the third-place teams from the NFC North and AFC South.

Dabs’ Digest: Weekly 1-on-1 with Coach Brian Daboll | Giants.com

Could you provide a specific reason for the rise in your takeaways?

Daboll: “Obviously, we haven’t achieved the desired outcomes, but maintaining possession of the ball and getting possession of it are crucial components to securing your place in the standings at the conclusion of the match. The lads’ sprinting to the ball has been excellent. Some guys have very good instincts when it comes to being in throwing lanes or punching the ball out. Additionally, the men benefit greatly from the pressure package that defensive coordinator Wink Martindale employs in our system. The players and coaches have worked together on it. They’ve performed incredibly well.”

I mean, The Athletics’ Dan Duggan does have the best hair on the beat

5 things to watch as Giants face Eagles in Week 18 of 2023-24 NFL season | SNY.tv

Barkley only needs 84 more rushing yards to reach 1,000 for the season—a mark he has only reached four times thus far. He only had 23 carries but still managed 80 yards and a touchdown on the ground against the Eagles two weeks ago. On Sunday, can he run four yards farther than that?

This week’s opponent

Spadaro: Locker room eyes strong finish at Giants | PhiladelphiaEagles.com

There is the matter of this final game of the regular season against the Giants and the sense that, yes, one win can put the Eagles on the right path when the postseason begins. That’s the approach tight end Dallas Goedert is taking.

“We want to be playing our best football going into the playoffs. We haven’t done that, and that’s why Sunday means a lot,” he said. “We know they’re going to have some adjustments against us, but it’s nice being familiar with them and knowing what they might do to try to stop us. I’m taking the positive approach there.

Nick Sirianni says Jalen Hurts has total freedom to make an improvised play | Bleeding Green Nation

Sirianni continued by saying that they had observed discrepancies between what they saw on opponent tape and what they saw in games on several occasions this year. As a result, adjustments must be made on the sidelines or by players directly on the field.

“That’s what you work so hard through the training camps and OTAs, here is what we like versus this, versus this. Yes, this has answers versus this or this has answers versus everything, but this is an ideal thing to get to in these scenarios.

So, you constantly talk about those things. Like I said, sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t. Sometimes it’s the right time to do it and sometimes it’s not the right time.”

Haason Reddick: Defensive changes hard, but we have to get it done | Pro Football Talk

Edge rusher Haason Reddick stated on Thursday that although it has been challenging, they must adopt Patricia’s “different style” and on-the-fly methods if they want to be “great in the playoffs.”

Reddick has been used more in coverage by the Eagles since Patricia took over, and he stated that while it’s “a conversation for another time” whether it’s the ideal way to use him, he will do whatever is “required of me” in the hopes of giving the team the wins that have eluded them lately.

A dominant A.J. Brown would make everyone in Philadelphia happy again | FOX Sports

The Eagles are more in need of A.J. Brown to return to his pre-season form as a dominant receiver than they are of him getting over his poor attitude.