Giants captain Bobby Okereke: It would be ‘devastating’ to lose ‘linebacker whisperer’ Wink Martindale

Giants captain Bobby Okereke admits he is playing the best and most consistent football of his career. And he credits defensive coordinator Wink Martindale for that growth.

“Wink’s essentially like a linebacker whisperer,” Okereke said on the Talkin’ Ball with Pat Leonard podcast. “It’s just the little tweaks and the subtle coaching points he’ll give me that really make these big ‘aha’ moments for me. Whether he’s telling me to split my alignment out by two yards, or back up a yard in this specific play, or think about this or that. He’s just imparted so much wisdom on me that it’s really taken my game to the next level.”

Okereke, 27, also said his experience playing lots of zone with the Indianapolis Colts has helped him guide the defense adeptly in and out of Martindale’s man-heavy scheme. The veteran coordinator and linebacker’s married talents have yielded clear results.

“We blitz a lot here, we play a lot of man,” Okereke said. “I think some of my experience playing Cover-3 and Cover-2 — and helping guys around me feel comfortable and understand the scheme and ways offenses try to attack us in that scheme — I think that’s helped me make this defense gel even more.”

This is one of many reasons why a Martindale departure after the season due to tension with Brian Daboll would be detrimental: Joe Schoen’s best free signing has thrived in tandem with Martindale, and their defense is the only thing that has kept a dismal season afloat.

“I think it’s tough,” Okereke said, when asked how crushing it would be to lose Martindale over that friction. “Wink has just been such an influential coach for me to this point and really to this whole defense. He does a great job of bringing everybody together and making sure we’re all on the same page and not making football too complicated thinking about all these different X’s and O’s and schemes and ways teams are gonna attack you.

“And [he] really just boil[s] it down to kick the guy’s a– in front of you and play more physical than the opponent, and understand the mindset that you’ve got to dominate your opponent,” the linebacker added. “Wink’s been extremely instrumental in that point. It’ll obviously be very devastating if he’s not here next year. I don’t even wanna think about that.”

Okereke had a diplomatic and mature way of looking at the situation between his head coach and defensive coordinator: conflict can be constructive as long as everyone shares the same goal for the group.

“Wink’s been such an influential leader for us, and [there is] everything that Dabes has done from a leadership standpoint bringing this team together,” he said. “Obviously everybody has different approaches, and I think friction can be positive if you just wanna get to the right result. Obviously it’s good to have a difference of opinions. I think that promotes growth. So I think as long as everybody has their intention in the right place, being team first, I think it’ll all work out.”

No one is questioning that Okereke will do as much as he can to try to make sure these final five games work out to the Giants’ liking.

Okereke, an investor in the MVMI Sleep company, arrives at the Giants’ facility daily between 7-7:15 a.m. to complete an “activation, recovery and stretch” routine. That’s one window into how he has managed to play through a broken rib, broken pinky and ailing hip — and to play 100% of the defense’s 796 snaps so far this season.

“The way I see physical therapy and activation and treatment for my body, it’s like buying insurance,” he said. “You could say it’s money wasted or time wasted, but when a potential injury happens — I just try to put myself in the best position to stay healthy.”

His play in Weeks 5 and 6 against the Miami Dolphins and Buffalo Bills took his on-field leadership to the next level. But Okereke said part of the reason he was named captain for his first season with the team, he believes, is that people watched his diligent and detailed routine preparation and understood the positive example it set.

“Football is such a meritocracy,” he said. “And it’s such a performance business that it’s hard to be a leader, an influential leader, if you’re not making those big-time plays and changing the game. Ever since I came here, work habits, the work ethic I’ve had, the discipline I’ve shown with my routine, I think that’s what teammates respected.

“And that’s something I’ve cultivated over four years watching guys like Anthony Walker and Darius [now Shaq] Leonard before me, taking stuff from their routine and integrating it in mine,” he continued. “But as my playmaking started to follow and really shine on gameday, those two things married up perfectly and helped me be a positive influence on this team.”

Okereke humbly credits Dexter Lawrence and the defensive linemen for making plays and creating opportunities for the linebackers. He said Micah McFadden has stepped up in a big way, Isaiah Simmons was an excellent addition just before the season, and Carter Coughlin and Cam Brown have made plays under position coach John Egorugwu.

He also credited the Giants’ “athletic and dynamic” defensive backs for allowing the front-seven to concentrate on stopping the run, which they’ll have to do Monday night against the Green Bay Packers.

Martindale had Okereke watch Baltimore Ravens film of C.J. Mosley in his scheme, too, and that helped a lot of Okereke’s responsibilities “click” for him, which has helped complete the picture of a defense that has carried this team to two straight wins.

The biggest question now is whether they can keep the band together to make their future look like the recent past.

WATSON OUT FOR PACKERS

Top Green Bay Packers wide receiver Christian Watson (hamstring) is out for Monday night’s game at MetLife Stadium. So is Giants right tackle Evan Neal (ankle).

The Giants have five questionable players: defensive tackles Lawrence (hamstring) and A’Shawn Robinson (hamstring), tight end Daniel Bellinger (illness), wide receiver Parris Campbell (knee) and linebacker Simmons (ankle). Campbell, the team’s kick returner, was added to the report on Saturday, when he unexpectedly didn’t practice.

For Green Bay, in addition to Watson sitting out, linebacker Quay Walker (shoulder) is doubtful. And four players are questionable: running back Aaron Jones (knee), corner Jaire Alexander (shoulder), safety Darnell Savage (chest) and corner Eric Stokes (hamstring).