Getty Blake Martinez #50 of the Green Bay Packers tackles Dallas Goedert #88 of the Philadelphia Eagles in the third quarter at Lambeau Field on September 26, 2019 in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
Blake Martinez makes it difficult not to notice him when he’s tearing things up for the Green Bay Packers defense, but his latest accessory made him particularly easy to spot during Sunday night’s win over the Kansas City Chiefs.
Martinez, who is the NFL’s leading tackler with 83, played every single snap of the 31-24 win with a projective club wrapped around his right hand after being deemed questionable to play with a wrist/hand injury. But the veteran inside linebacker looked his normal self and stayed plenty active for the Packers defense, tying rookie Darnell Savage Jr. with a team-high seven tackles against the Chiefs.
While protective equipment isn’t uncommon to see on NFL players for a variety of minor issues, Martinez said his gear was specifically guarding against a fracture in his hand he suffered in a ‘freak accident’ during practice in the week prior.
“It was just kind of a freak accident in practice,” Martinez told Green Bay news station WLUK-TV Fox 11. “We were just doing a competition drill, reaction-based. One guy went one way, I went the other, went to press with my hand and just the torque of it, I felt like kind of a crack when it happened. And from that point, I was like, ‘Okay, this does not feel good.’ And on Saturday they got it checked out before we left and found out it was fractured.”
Martinez was among 11 Packers limited in Wednesday’s practice with a hand/shoulder, but the defensive signal-caller has played 46 straight games, counting the postseason. Considering he persevered with the club last week, it seems likely that Martinez will suit up Sunday afternoon when the Packers travel to take on the Los Angeles Chargers at 3:25 p.m. CT.
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Martinez Responsible for Stabilizing Packers’ Middle
There are plenty of things to nitpick about Martinez’s game, including a number of head-shaking missed tackles, but it would be irresponsible not to acknowledge how much his presence has helped the Packers’ battered and bruised inside linebacker group.
Injuries have ravaged the position group since the preseason, beginning with Oren Burks — who has since returned — and following with ongoing injuries to rookie Curtis Bolton and safety-linebacker hybrid Raven Greene. The situation grew desperate enough for the Packers to trade for B.J. Goodson from the New York Giants, but rookie Ty Summers was the team’s lone backup option until Burks returned at the end of September.
Consequently, Martinez has hardly spent any time on the sidelines through the first half of the season and been forced to play to both his strengths (against the run) and weaknesses (in pass coverage) in efforts to keep the Packers defense in early-season form. He is allowing just 0.55 yards per cover snap, which rates third-best among the league’s linebackers, but his worst moments have led to some eyesores.
The Packers defense has fallen off in recent weeks after starting the season red hot, reverting to the old ways of relying on Aaron Rodgers and the offense to haul the team to victory. The Chiefs racked up 24 points and more than 300 yards without star Patrick Mahomes at the helm last week against the unit, while the Oakland Raiders clawed for nearly 500 in Week 7.
Martinez figures to be part of the solution there, but whether he can actually do it depends less on his tackling numbers and more on if he can continue to address his shortcomings while recovering from his fractured hand. Because if he can’t, the Packers’ aspirations for a deep playoff run could face some trouble down the stretch.
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