LB Martinez not yet able to practice
Invaluable inside linebacker Blake Martinez was forced out in the fourth quarter in Seattle with a lower back injury. The estimation by the Giants was he would not have practiced Wednesday had it been a full workout.
“I hope so,’’ head coach Joe Judge said, when asked if he felt Martinez will be able to play Sunday against the Cardinals. “He was in meetings with us, had a smile on his face and laughing, so you can always cut it with Blake. But obviously, guys are coming out of games, they’re banged up, they’re sore.’’
With Martinez not on the field for the final Seahawks possession and final Giants defensive stop, safety Logan Ryan took over as the defensive signal-caller, donning the helmet with the green dot that contains a radio transmitter hookup with coordinator Patrick Graham.
“I told him, ‘Don’t worry about it buddy, don’t kill yourself to come back here, we need you and we’re gonna win this game,’ ’’ Ryan said, referring to a conversation he had with Martinez.
➤ Leonard Williams was credited with 2.5 sacks of Russell Wilson in the 17-12 victory in Seattle and also got five pressures on Wilson. As a result, Williams won the NFC Defensive Player of the Week award.
Williams is the first Giants defensive lineman to be named Player of the Week since Jason Pierre-Paul in Week 12 in 2016. Williams has a career-high 8.5 sacks.
➤ OT Matt Peart (ankle) and CB Madre Harper (knee) were projected to miss practice, while CB
Darnay Holmes (knee) would have been limited.
➤ The Giants continue to be the favorites to win the NFC East, according to BetOnline. The Giants are at -155, followed by Washington (+155), the Eagles (14/1) and the Cowboys (25/1).
➤ Joe Judge opened up his media availability offering condolences to the family of Ray Perkins, the former Giants and Alabama head coach, who passed away at the age of 79. Judge is wellaware of Perkins’ legacy, having worked at Alabama and now with the Giants. “Actually, the first time I met Coach Perkins, I was working at Southern Miss. for a spring and he was at a junior college down the road,’’ Judge said. “He came up and watched us practice one day and we just spent some time talking. I had just come from Alabama, he had been at Alabama obviously through his time. We shared some stories about Tuscaloosa.
“But he spent a lot of time with me that day actually talking about being a young coach and really working with players and developing the players. That was the biggest thing that he really shared with me, and that’s a message that’s been echoed to me by a lot of people I’ve been around that have been very successful. The development of the players is what he really hammered me with. He was just sharing some wisdom along, ‘Hey listen, give everybody an opportunity to improve and don’t make your mind up too early from what you think someone can do.’ ’’