Packer 'backers to Giants

[pbmax]

If only we got this level of stuff while the player was here.

Pat Leonard @PLeonardNYDN
Blake Martinez on a conference call now says he is basically “quarantined in a weight room,” in an extension of family’s house in Arizona where he and his had dad spent years building/putting in extra living space, weight room, turf field, etc. Obviously good timing. #Giants

Martinez, the new #Giants ILB, says he and #Packers talked but the way he valued himself was not in line with the way GB did. Also is combating misconceptions of his abilities, critical of the GB defense in which he was “taught and told to be the clean-up crew guy.”

Martinez says he had no gap responsibilities in GB this past season and was basically told by DC Mike Pettine to play off whatever Za’Darius and Preston Smith did up front and “make them right.” Hmmm... #Packers #Giants

Martinez going into great detail about how Packers used him (or didn’t use him).

[pbmax]

Zach Kruse @zachkruse2 Replying to Pat Leonard @PLeonardNYDN
Martinez says he had no gap responsibilities in GB this past season and was basically told by DC Mike Pettine to play off whatever Za’Darius and Preston Smith did up front and “make them right.” Hmmm... #Packers #Giants

Zach Kruse @zachkruse2
Blake told me a variation of this same thing after the season after I posted a stat of his average tackle depth.

Zach Kruse @zachkruse2
He said he wasn't allowed to shoot gaps and often had to cover 2-3 gaps every play.
His words, not mine

[pbmax]

Rob Demovsky @RobDemovsky
The viewpoint from Blake Martinez on a conference call with Giants media.

Wonder if Packers DC Mike Pettine and his former teammates would agree?

[pbmax]

The matchup zone stuff was uncovered while he was here. Lotta plays in the middle were people failing to move over from backside. Was one huge play last year like this.

I tend to believe him. He was also one of two players (Randall was the other) who talked about a lack of accountability with players getting starting reps on defense. He later backed down when the shit hit the fan.

This could be the case where you cannot play this defense without a stud in the middle to cover for all the free lancing.


Jason Wilde @jasonjwilde
Reading Tweets by @TomRock_Newsday, @KimJonesSports, @DDuggan21,@RVacchianoSNY and @PLeonardNYDN on Blake Martinez conference call. Worth noting that the Giants defensive coordinator is Patrick Graham, his ex-position coach in GB. He may see something frustrated fans did not.

[Zool]

This doesn't explain 4 years of mediocrity.

[run pMc]

No, but if this is true it sure makes it sound like there are some schematic (or discipline) issues within that defense.
It's hard to cover-up for someone's freelancing without making a tackle well past the LOS.

If this is the role of the Pettine ILB, then is there any reason to spend a high round pick on one? Is there any reason to think the middle of the field will be guarded?
As time goes by, I have less faith in the Pettine defense.

[pbmax]

He's a fourth round pick. He wasn't likely to be superman. But I thought he did improve each year.

Its been Pettine's defense for two years and this explains the number of tackles and the fact that they are downfield. The failures, at times, of the matchup zone principles also explain some coverage problems in the middle of the field.

But every defense faces these damned if you do, damned if you don't choices (free lance, penetrate, complex coverage or just straight man or zone).

Martinez was never going to have the speed to chase down fast TEs or RBs in coverage. Its another issue between personnel and DC.

Its also possible that the San Fran offense is a bad matchup for Pettine's preferred method of defense. When you face an option attack, you have to stay home and play disciplined. You can't just fly to the ball.

[texaspackerbacker]

The proof or lack of it of what Martinez is saying will be how he plays with the Giants. I generally had a higher opinion of him with the Packers than most in here seemed to have. Just the same, I don't expect him to be much different. Defense as I understand it for pretty much any MLB or ILB is not so much about gap discipline as it is "cleaning up" just like he said - the old sideline to sideline thing.

[pbmax]

The proof or lack of it of what Martinez is saying will be how he plays with the Giants. I generally had a higher opinion of him with the Packers than most in here seemed to have. Just the same, I don't expect him to be much different. Defense as I understand it for pretty much any MLB or ILB is not so much about gap discipline as it is "cleaning up" just like he said - the old sideline to sideline thing.

Cleaning up in this case would be pursuit to the ball, but not just to the outside. It would be responsibility for more than 2 gaps.