Tennessee Titans working again Derrick Henry is a “modern-day Jim Brown,” Giants defensive coordinator Don Martindale stated Wednesday.
“He’s just that much different when he has the ball in his hands,” stated Martindale.
All the extra cause to query why the Giants lately launched Blake Martinez, their greatest inside linebacker.
According to Martindale, Martinez’s match had nothing to do together with his launch.
“No one said he wasn’t a good fit for our defense,” the Giants’ DC stated. “I’m just going to go with what [Brian Daboll] said. There’s tough personnel decisions that have to be made when you’re building a roster, and I think he and Joe [Schoen] have done a great job. I’m really excited about the guys we have in the room and wish Blake nothing but the best.”
Reading between the strains – which has turn into more and more vital on the Giants’ press conferences – Martindale may have used Martinez however thinks his protection is healthier with out him.
He’ll have an opportunity to show it Sunday in opposition to Henry, a 2,000-yard rusher in 2020 who scored three TDs 3 times in eight common season video games final season earlier than fracturing his foot.
“Just in layman’s terms, if you change out your MIKE linebacker, that’s hard on your defense,” Martindale stated. “But should you have a look at us schematically, like [in the preseason finale against] the Jets, we performed 4 inside linebackers in that sport. On third down and schematically, we put the gamers that we expect are greatest at what they do greatest positions on the sector.
“So there will be some games where we don’t play with any inside linebackers when you see some of the packages that we have,” the longtime Baltimore Ravens coordinator added. “There will be some games where we’ll have [safety] Julian Love down there playing linebacker.”
Martindale has cause to really feel assured in opposition to Henry in a single sense. His Ravens protection held Henry to 40 yards on 18 carries (2.2 common) in a 20-13 Wild Card win over the Titans in Jan. 2021.
Of course, the Ravens’ offense used 236 yards speeding that day to construct a lopsided time of possession benefit (33:38 to 26:22).
And Baltimore’s protection featured Matthew Judon, Calais Campbell, Brandon Williams, Pernell McPhee, Marlon Humphrey and Chuck Clark, amongst others.
Sunday’s assembly with Henry will carry a brand new problem for a Giants protection led by Leonard Williams and Dexter Lawrence up entrance however short-handed by accidents (and releases) at edge and linebacker.
“He’s going to do what he does,” Giants nook Adoree Jackson stated of Henry, his former Titans teammate. “It’s crazy. Just put 11 hats to the ball and just try to limit him as much as possible. I mean Derrick Henry, that’s the top back in the league.”
Even Martindale can’t predict what mark his protection may make in Week 1 in opposition to Ryan Tannehill’s offense.
“There’s one thing I’ll guarantee you,” Martindale stated. “I don’t know how good we’re going to be, but we are going to run to the football, and we are going to tackle people. If we start with that, you’ve got a shot. And I can’t wait. I’m really excited about it.”
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Source: www.bostonherald.com