New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll presented defensive coordinator Don “Wink” Martindale with the game ball after the team’s victory Sunday, despite reports of friction between the two.
The Giants enjoyed a rare moment of their season on Sunday when they narrowly defeated the New England Patriots 10-7 thanks to a late missed field goal.
It was New York’s second straight win and their first winning streak of the season, which was helped by the defense’s nine goals over the two games.
And after the win, Daboll had high praise for his defense before rewarding Martindale with the game-winning ball.
“First of all, I’m so damn proud of you guys. Good job, man,” Daboll began as he delivered his post-game speech in the locker room.
New York Giants defensive coordinator Wink Martindale received the game ball as a gift on Sunday
The move came after reports that Martindale and head coach Brian Daboll had a falling out
‘That’s a good job. You never had any doubts, no matter how things went. Defensive, turnovers, keep them coming, man.”
The head coach then turned to his defensive coordinator, tossed him the ball and said, “Hey, Wink. Toy buddy.”
Wink lifted the ball over his head in celebration before leading the Giants in chant.
The move comes amid reports of a feud between Daboll and Martindale, which could lead to the two splitting up.
On Sunday, Fox Sports’ Jay Glazer reported that Daboll and Martindale’s relationship is in a “bad place,” with tension between the pair escalating to the point where they could split before the end of the season.
“A bad place to the point where I don’t see them actually continuing their relationship beyond this season, maybe not even during this season,” Glazer said.
The rift between the coaches first became apparent when the already frustrated Giants were blown out 49-17 by the Dallas Cowboys on November 12.
Cameras captured the team’s frustration spilling over to the sideline after the Cowboys opened a 28-0 lead at halftime.
According to Fox’s Tom Rindali, Daboll had an “animated discussion” with Saquon Barkley before spending most of the break talking to Martindale. The tense conversation continued at the head of the second half.
The Giants had a rare great moment in their season when they narrowly defeated the Patriots
However, any friction between the two coaches appears to have been eliminated thanks to the defense’s role in the Giants’ win on Sunday.
Both Daboll and Martindale were hired prior to last season and their relationship initially appeared to be a match made in Heaven as they led the Giants to a 9-7 record and broke a five-year playoff drought.
But this season was a different story, with New York unable to match last year’s success and frustration clearly starting to seep in.
Sunday’s win over New England marked just the Giants’ fourth loss this season, with struggling New York at 4-8.
