The New York Giants weren’t just content to replace Don ‘Wink’ Martindale as defensive coordinator with Shane Bowen. Big Blue is also moving toward an entirely different way of playing defense from the game Martindale used to call.
Former Tennessee Titans coordinator Bowen, along with Giants’ middle linebacker Bobby Okereke and cornerback Deonte Banks, all explained how things are changing. The gist of the comments from all three is that the Giants will blitz less, play more zone-based coverage and generally be a more thoughtful, reactionary unit.
This new approach might not find favor with fans of the popular Martindale’s creative and buccaneering schemes. Yet, the Giants could be better equipped to adapt to the multiple matchup problems posed by different opponents week to week.
Giants Shifting Away from ‘Wink’ Martindale’s Blitz Blueprint
Okerek summed up the proposed changes best by describing how the Giants will need to read more on the run, per Paul Schwartz of the New York Post: “Wink kind of wanted you to play hard and fast. You know, just play physical, downhill, figure it out. Here, it’s a process of elimination. If this guy goes vertical, you check two. If two does this, you check three. You kind of put it in buckets, and that’s the process of decision-making.”
It sounds like Okereke and his teammates will have more to process on each play. A more cerebral brand of defense demands linebackers and defensive backs spend more time playing assignment football and less time blitzing.
The contrast in styles between Martindale and Bowen is summed up by these numbers from Schwartz: “The Titans in 2023 under Bowen blitzed just 22 percent of the time. Martindale’s Giants blitzed 45 percent of the time.”
Devilish mixes of blitzes from the second level, while front-line defenders bailed into coverage, were common under Martindale. Like this slot blitz involving Cor’Dale Flott against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 18, highlighted by Cody Alexander of MatchQuarters.
Last season’s blitz numbers were merely more of the same from Martindale, whose unit posted an NFL-high 39.7 blitz percentage in 2022, per Pro Football Reference.
As NFL Network’s Brian Baldinger illustrated, it was common for Martindale to scheme a “free hitter” to run at quarterbacks.
Yet, as entertaining as those blitz packages were, the odd things is the Giants were far from dominant defensively playing the Martindale way. They ranked 17th in points allowed and 25th in yards surrendered in 2022, according to Pro Football Reference, and the same source had the Giants ranked 26th in points and 27th in yards last season.
These numbers suggest Martindale’s defenses were creative but lacked the fundamentals. Nowhere was this disparity more apparent than against the run. Big Blue gave up 5.2 yards per carry in 2022, before yielding 4.7 yards a rushing attempt last season.
Perhaps the lowly underlying statistics contributed to the rumored tension between Martindale and head coach Brian Daboll. This perceived rift cleared the way for Bowen’s arrival.
The difference between Martindale and the new play-caller will be most keenly felt in the secondary.
Shane Bowen Changing Giants’ Coverage
Bowen arrived with a reputation for calling an opponent-specific defense, akin to what the New England Patriots played under Bill Belichick.
The system was handed down to Bowen by former Patriots’ linebacker Mike Vrabel, per Schwartz: “Vrabel later entrusted Bowen to run the Titans’ defense, using a system that traces its roots to Vrabel — and further back with Dean Pees and Bill Belichick. Giants head coach Brian Daboll did not previously work with Bowen, but he did work with Pees and Belichick and is highly familiar with that brand of defense from his extensive time in New England.”
Daboll’s familiarity with this defense should keep interactions with his new DC civil. Bowen will have the Giants rely less on man coverage and trust safer zones, according to Schwartz: “Bowen last season had his defense in Cover 4 — essentially a four-deep zone — 23 percent of the defensive snaps.”
A four-deep shell is essentially a prevent-style of defense, so it’s definitely a more passive style than Martindale preferred. It’s a philosophical shift Banks has already noticed: “It’s still aggressive, but just not as aggressive. I guess a little bit more zone. I guess you could say that.”
Banks was selected 24th overall in the 2023 NFL draft because of his ability to play on an island and handle one-on-one matchups. Yet, Schwartz pointed out how “Bowen said he will demand that the defensive backs adapt to new marching orders ‘just in terms of vision and eyes and where they’re looking.’”
It may sound like Bowen is going to take Banks out of his comfort zone, but Nick Falato of SB Nation’s Big Blue View noted last season how the young corner deserves more credit “for his eyes in zone.”
Players like Banks and Okereke getting up to speed quickly will be key to the early success of Bowen’s new way of doing things. His defense will be very different from Martindale’s.
The Giants also need the new-look D’ to be a lot better.
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