Phil Simms, Julian Edelman applaud Brian Daboll
Giants head coach Brian Daboll has received a lot of praise for the Giants' performance in the first month of the season.
The latest to jump on the Daboll bandwagon are two former Super Bowl champions and notable figures around the NFL - former Giants quarterback Phil Simms and former Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman, who now serve as analysts on "Inside the NFL" on Paramount+.
"It was a clinic in coaching," Simms said about Daboll leading the Giants to victory in London. "It just shows you, once again, and I think we all know this, coaching is so important in the NFL. Brian Daboll showed that. He out-coached the Packers staff, and the Packers had no answer...
"You talk about Saquon Barkley. They line him up as a wide receiver in a stacked formation, nobody covers him because Green Bay was confused. At the end of the game, with the game on the line, Wink Martindale sends a couple blitzes, nobody picks it up, no answer. The coaching won the game."
Edelman, who was in New England from 2009-2020, has plenty of experience with the Giants head coach. The three-time Super Bowl champion won two of those rings with Daboll on Bill Belichick's coaching staff, as the coach's second stint with the Patriots came from 2013-2016.
Following Daboll's hire in January, Edelman talked about the good relationship he had with the now head coach when the two were together in New England. This week, the former wide receiver praised the head coach for his ability to stay calm and collected against Green Bay.
"The fact that you have a rookie head coach that goes to London and competes against an NFC powerhouse that everyone's been talking about for the last 10 years, and deals with distraction better than them and goes and beats them? That's coaching," said Edelman.
Wink Martindale feels 're-energized' with Giants
Wink Martindale came to praise the Baltimore Ravens.
Now he wants to bury them.
Martindale, the Giants' first-year defensive coordinator, spent the previous 10 seasons with Baltimore, the last four as its defensive coordinator. On Sunday, he will face his former team for the first time when the 3-2 Ravens visit the 4-1 Giants in MetLife Stadium. In his weekly meeting with reporters yesterday, Martindale spoke of the Ravens as he would a group of college buddies, with affection and respect.
And that's precisely why this is not just an ordinary game against a standard opponent.
"It's different just for this reason, I have a lot of friends on that other sideline," Martindale said. "A lot of people that have meant a lot to me in my life. But whenever someone asks me about the Ravens, I always think about (Ravens defensive line coach) Clarence Brooks, my dear friend. He's the one, and I've used it ever since, who said this game always has been and always will be about the players. That's the truth. So, in that essence, it's game six, but like I said I have a deep love for a lot of people over there. (Ravens owner) Steve Bisciotti took care of my family for 10 years. Obviously, (coach) John (Harbaugh) and I have coached together. I've coached with his dad, and I've known the family forever, he's like a brother. (Executive vice president) Ozzie Newsome was a mentor for me for 10 years over there and we helped build something that they're on their 15th year of doing right now. The exciting part about coming here is it's year one. We've just got to stay with the process, where we're going, and how we're going to get there."
