Giants’ best formula to upsetting Eagles is built into franchise’s DNA

Wink Martindale is aware of. He understands. He will get it. He realizes the place he works. He’s intimately accustomed to what it means to be the defensive coordinator of the New York Soccer Giants, which is similar job Tom Landry as soon as had, the identical job Invoice Belichick as soon as had. 

Which is to say: the present caretaker of a elementary and important New York establishment, similar because the individual answerable for the New York Public Library, or Lincoln Heart, or the Museum of Pure Historical past. 

Whenever you run the Giants’ protection, you’re engaged in a public belief, and when that protection is about to play one of the crucial monumental video games in current reminiscence? It makes a person perceive the tasks at hand. 

“We all know the place the usual is, and we wish to hold elevating the bar,” Martindale stated final week. “That’s why I hold referring to the followers, I believe they like seeing it. They like seeing an attacking model protection and ones that may hit the quarterback, We’ve had 19 completely different guys this 12 months on the roster that have gotten a sack. That’s loopy. It’s additionally as soon as once more a credit score to the gamers and their [position] coaches.” 

If the Giants are going to enter Philadelphia on Saturday evening, into the stomach of the beast, into the home of horrors that has not too long ago been Lincoln Monetary Area, and survive? Sure, it can take one other superior effort from Danny Dimes, and possibly just a few breathtaking runs from Saquon Barkley, and it’ll assist if the particular groups are on level. All of that’s true. 

However to beat the Eagles on Saturday evening, one thing else has to occur. 

The protection has to show its watch again to 1956 and get after the Iggles the way in which Sam Huff and Andy Robustelli and Dick Modzelewski and the gang used to get after it. They should flip the clock again to 1986 and channel LT and Carl Banks and Leonard Marshall and the crew, stalk Philly for 60 minutes. They should flip the calendar to 2007, and set their interior Michael Strahan and Justin Tuck and Osi Umenyiora free on Jalen Hurts. 

They should encourage the Giants followers contained in the Linc and the a whole lot of hundreds of others watching inside saloons and sports activities bars and dwelling rooms to do what they’ve performed on intuition and involuntary response for so long as there have been high quality Giants groups to root for: 

Arise, wherever they’re, and chant the holy mantra. 

“DEEEEEEEEE-FENCE! 

DEEEEEEEEEE-FENCE! 

DEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE-FENCE!” 

“We’d like,” Marshall tweeted Friday, “a ‘Invoice Belichick model’ defensive throw-down kind of sport from ‘The New Massive Blue Wrecking Crew.’ Identical to this bunch. Let’s go Massive Blue! Any person get me a uniform, please.” 

Yeah. You recognize what Leonard’s speaking about as a result of, hell, you need a uniform, too. You’ll settle on your Taylor 56 and Strahan 92 jerseys, possibly escape an outdated Armstead 98 or Carson 53, and let Martindale and his electrical band of upstarts do the heavy lifting. 

“Clearly, we’re taking this severely,” Leonard Williams stated. “However on the similar time, I believe we have now to be free and have enjoyable and keep in mind that it’s a sport. Be the place you’re imagined to be and know what you’re imagined to do and all these sorts of issues. On the finish of the day, I really feel like once we play with that kind of enjoyable and looseness that we play with a unique kind of swagger, and it permits us to play quick.” 

That’ll work. That’ll play. We all know what it’s going to sound like on the Linc ’spherical 8:14 or so, simply earlier than kickoff, and what it’ll sound like the primary time the Eagles get the ball. 

Take into consideration how completely different that sound might be if — for argument’s sake — Dexter Lawrence breaks by and flattens Jalen Hurts early on. Or if Kayvon Thibodeaux is ready to jar the soccer free from Miles Sanders’ grasp. Or if Adoree’ Jackson steps in entrance of a ball supposed for A.J. Brown. 

Take into consideration how completely different Saturday evening will look if any of that occurs. Sit again, calm down (nicely, comparatively), flip your watch again to 1956 (or 1986, or 2007) and take a look at the lads in blue attempt to hold the Eagles from flying. It’s all the time been one of the best components, in any case.