Five Packers to watch vs. Giants in Week 13 matchup
By Jesse Fry
4. Blake Martinez
If there is one player who can help the Giants pull off an upset, it’s Saquon Barkley. If there’s one area of the field the Giants can attack to pull off the upset, it’s the middle of the field. Blake Martinez is key to stopping both areas.
The Packers face a difficult decision on Martinez in the offseason. He’s a free agent and although he’s led the team in tackling each of the past three years, he’s also been a liability in coverage and his impact plays are few and far between. But, because of his tackling prowess, he might still be able to command top dollar in the open market.
If he made a few more impact plays or was better in coverage, the answer might be easy.
Martinez came away with a sack last week in San Fransisco, but he has been involved in only one turnover play this season and none since Week 7 against the Raiders. If he can notch a few more of those type of plays, the defense and team as a whole would be much better for it.
Martinez won’t become a top-notch cover man in a week. But if he can show he’s not a liability and close the gapping hole that’s been the middle of the Packers defense lately, it would go a long way in proving his worth to general manager Brian Gutekunst, as well as 31 other teams.