Shortly after the New York Giants parted ways with defensive coordinator Wink Martindale in January, his phone rang.
On the other end was a surprising voice: Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts.
A week earlier, the Giants, led by Martindale’s defense, defeated the Eagles, 27-10, to close out their regular season. Hurts completed just seven of his 16 pass attempts for 55 yards and one interception in that game. He was sacked twice.
Unwilling to risk injury, the playoff-bound Eagles decided to bow out and pull their starters.
So, what was it Hurts wanted?
“I’ve been doing this for 40 years,” Martindale told ESPN, “and it’s the first time I’ve had an opposing quarterback call me up. I thought it was pretty cool that the guy called. It shows you what kind of pro he really is. He’s just looking at every angle that he can to get better.”
Hurts wanted to know how Martindale and the Giants game-planned for him. He wanted to know what they perceived his weaknesses to be and talked about issues with the Eagles’ protection schemes. The two also discussed Philadelphia’s offensive play-calling.
“It was very effective and he knew it, and he just wanted to know why we did certain things that we did. Then he went to work on that,” Martindale said of the 30-minute phone call.
“They weren’t committed to the run (down the stretch). They weren’t committed to the quarterback runs. They were trying to throw the ball a little but too much on early downs, which put them behind the sticks. That’s when defenses can go to work.”
Despite the input from Martindale, the Eagles did not change their approach in the playoffs and it cost them. They were ousted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 32-9, in the wild card round.
