The Giants’ transfer from man to zone may upset Jalen Hurts
New York Giants defensive coordinator Don “Wink” Martindale is fond of claiming that if you’re carrying a Giants helmet, you’re going to assault on protection. That’s all the time been Wink’s modus operandi — when he was the Baltimore Ravens’ defensive coordinator from 2018 by means of 2021, Baltimore often led the NFL in blitz price. That has transferred to the Giants in Martindale’s first yr on the job. In 2021, Bug Blue blitzed precisely 25% of the time. This season? No workforce has blitzed at the next price than the Giants’ 39.7%, and it isn’t shut — within the common season, the Arizona Cardinals ranked second in blitz price at 34.5%.
So, you recognize what you’re going to get when going through a Wink Martindale protection from that perspective. And usually, he’ll throw in a excessive price of man protection to go together with all these blitzes. That was what the Giants did by means of Week 14, which marked their first of two regular-season video games in opposition to the Philadelphia Eagles, who they’ll face in Saturday night time’s divisional spherical contest.
By Week 14, per Sports activities Information Options, solely the New Orleans Saints and the Pittsburgh Steelers had extra opponent passing makes an attempt in man protection than the Giants’ 176. And on these 176 makes an attempt, Martindale’s protection allowed 124 completions for 1,129 yards, seven touchdowns, two interceptions, and an opponent passer ranking of 79.0. Solely the Steelers blitzed on extra opponent passing makes an attempt with man protection than the Giants’ 84 — Martindale’s squad gave up 44 completions for 498 yards, two touchdowns, one interception, and an opponent passer ranking of 73.4.
However since that first Eagles recreation, Martindale has modified his protection ideas fairly drastically. The Giants are nonetheless attacking with blitzes, however they’re enjoying far more zone protection — particularly split-safety zone. Maybe it was what occurred in that 44-28 loss to the Eagles that modified Martindale’s mindset. In that recreation, Jalen Hurts set New York’s man protection to “Julienne” within the Cuisinart, finishing 9 of 16 passes for 152 yards, two touchdowns, no interceptions, and a passer ranking of 128.1. In opposition to man protection and the blitz, Hurts accomplished six of 10 passes for 99 yards, one in all his touchdowns, and a passer ranking of 126.7.
From Week 15 by means of the workforce’s wild-card win over the Minnesota Vikings, the Giants have confronted 100 passing makes an attempt in zone protection, seventh-most within the league. They’ve allowed 69 completions for 788 yards, one landing, one interception, and an opponent passer ranking of 91.8. They’ve blitzed with zone protection on 29 opponent passing makes an attempt since Week 15 — solely the Tampa Bay Buccaneers did it extra usually in that point — permitting 21 completions for 347 yards, no touchdowns, no interceptions, and an opponent passer ranking of 112.3, which ranks third-worst within the league.
So, it seems on the floor that Martindale’s swap from man to zone has made his protection extra susceptible. But when Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts has one little bit of Kryptonite in what has been an MVP-level season, it’s the power to cope with blitzes and zone protection behind them. Hurts has confronted zone protection with blitzes on 51 of his dropbacks this season, and he’s accomplished simply 23 passes for 274 yards, no touchdowns, no interceptions, and a passer ranking of 78.5 — seventh-worst within the NFL.
“Everyone’s saying he’s having an MVP season, and I agree as a result of he can beat you together with his legs,” Martindale mentioned this week of Hurts. “He can beat you with simply being a dropback quarterback. He can beat you with a sore shoulder. He can beat you loads of alternative ways, and that’s an incredible problem as a result of there’s only a few quarterbacks that may do it that method. And you’ll have him lifeless to rights again there n the pocket, and he’s a magician. He’ll get out of it.
“I’m not joyful for the man proper now as a result of I’m getting ready for him. However you possibly can see the work that he put previously offseason. And the place he’s at immediately is, to me, two utterly totally different quarterbacks. Out of respect of the sport, you respect that. You may see the arduous work that he put in. It’s going to be an amazing problem.”
Maybe one option to mitigate that problem within the Giants’ favor is for Martindale to point out Hurts issues he hasn’t actually seen from his protection.