Brian Daboll and his defensive coordinator, Wink Martindale, shared a passionate moment on the field at MetLife Stadium immediately following the New York Giants‘ 24-20 win over the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday.
Here’s a clip of their postgame embrace:
The Giants erased a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit against the Ravens and improved to 5-1 on the season. Martindale, who coached for the Ravens from 2012-2021, played a big role in the victory over his former team.
Although the Giants defense allowed over 406 yards of offense on Sunday, including 211 rushing yards, Martindale’s unit clamped down when it mattered most. New York forced a pair of turnovers on Baltimore’s last two possessions to help seal the game.
The first turnover came with 3:04 left in the fourth quarter, when Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson mishandled a 3rd-down snap and tried to save the play. Jackson’s throw attempt was rushed and intercepted by Giants safety Julian Love, who returned the ball to Baltimore’s 13-yard line.
This was New York’s first defensive interception of the season. Heading into Week 6, the Giants were the only defense in the NFL without a pick.
The Giants turned Love’s interception into a Saquon Barkley touchdown, giving them a 24-20 lead with less than two minutes to play. But on Baltimore’s attempted two-minute drill, Martindale’s defense created yet another crucial turnover.
Two plays into the drive, Jackson dropped back to pass and was stripped by rookie pass-rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux. Giants defensive lineman Leonard Williams recovered the loose ball, effectively ending the game after a series of kneel-downs.
This was Thibodeaux’s first sack in the NFL, and it came against the quarterback he said he was most looking forward to sacking back in June.
Although the Giants were gashed by Jackson (7 rushes, 77 yards) and running back Kenyan Drake (10 carries, 119 yards, 1 TD) on the ground — as well as tight end Mark Andrews through the air (7 receptions, 106 yards, 1 TD) — the timely turnovers by Martindale’s unit were the biggest reason why New York was able to pick up its fifth win on Sunday.
After the game, Love said Martindale was “on top of the world” and “all smiles” (h/t Dan Salomone on Twitter).
Daniel Jones Posts Third 100+ Passer Rating of 2022
New York’s offense was not great against the Ravens, but Giants quarterback Daniel Jones finished with a passer rating of 112.1. That is the third time (in six outings) this season that he has eclipsed a rating of 100. The other two times came in Week 1 against the Tennessee Titans (115.9) and in Week 5 against the Green Bay Packers (100.2).
Jones also tied his season high with two touchdown passes against the Ravens. Heading into Week 6, Jones had not thrown a touchdown pass in three straight games.
Jones also protected the ball well. Week 6 against Baltimore marked his third straight outing without an interception. His only turnover was a fumble on a failed attempt to run a Hail Mary before halftime.
Saquon Barkley Held Under 4.0 Yards Per Carry vs. Ravens
Saquon Barkley was largely bottled up against the Ravens, but still managed to accumulate 83 yards and a touchdown on 22 rushing attempts. His average of 3.8 yards per rush attempt was his lowest since Week 2 against the Carolina Panthers, when he only went for 3.4 yards/carry.
When you add in his three receptions for 12 yards, Barkley finished just five yards shy of 100 scrimmage yards on Sunday. He had an opportunity to walk in for a second rushing touchdown on the final possession of the game, but slid down at the two-yard line so the Giants could run out the remainder of the clock.
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Brian Daboll, Wink Martindale Share Powerful Embrace After Ravens Win [WATCH]