Defensive Coordinator Wink Martindale
Hope everybody had a good Thanksgiving. Obviously, yesterday was the first day of Hanukkah, so happy holidays. Haven't been able to talk to you for what, three weeks now?
So, we've had some good things happen there, both the Washington game and the New England game, and really pleased where guys are really stepping up and gelling as a defense and playing well. It's been fun to watch, the takeaways that we've been able to generate and to have some positive things happen for us on the field and the different series of events that we've had.
So, with that, I'll open it up to questions.
Q: How rare is it for a guy like (inside linebacker) Bobby Okereke to be on the field every play?
A: Not at that position, it's not rare. At least not in my career it hasn't been. I think that's a tribute to his skillset and his leadership and his knowledge of the defense. Every week, it's a different challenge.
With Green Bay, (Head Coach) Matt (LaFleur) has done an outstanding job with his offense, and you can really see it's catered around the quarterback and it's Matt's personality of his offense, which is in the family of San Francisco with (49ers Head Coach) Kyle Shanahan and the Dolphins with (Head Coach Mike) McDaniel and (Rams Head Coach Sean) McVay in LA, and it's definitely a tough out. The receivers, that's a deep room. The running backs, a deep room. When I say deep room, they have a lot of talent – maybe the deepest rooms in the league. Those young guys are really playing well. They've got some good football players over there. I think (Packers Offensive Line Coach) Luke Butkus has this offensive line playing really well together. So, it's going to be a great challenge for us.
Q: We haven't had a chance to talk to you since the Jay Glazer report. What context, if any, can you give us on that?
A: When you're 4-8 instead of 8-4, things like that come up. I think that the cookie-cutter answer is we're focused on Green Bay. But I don't ever give you cookie-cutter answers. I do tell you this, though, that this game always has been and always will be about the players. I want to keep it that way. I always say I owe the players my composure. I think that there's nothing you can do when someone says something, you know what I mean? There's nothing you can do about that. I think the response that you got from the players, there's nothing that's happened that way. So, like I said… I think (General Manager) Joe (Schoen) and (Head Coach) Brian (Daboll) both, I've said it before, we're building something here. I think you've just got to stay focused on that. Today is Friday/Thursday practice. When you're old, that that really messes with you. We're just ready to go and have a great practice today.
Q: The crux of that report was that there's a chance you might not even finish out this year here or be back next year. What do you see as your future here because you've always raved about this organization?
A: Yeah, and I still am. The Maras, and the Tischs, and this organization, I've said that this is not a steppingstone, it's a destination, and it still is. I think when you're doing something the way we're doing it when we got here, and I'm talking about building this defense. When they build the big skyscrapers over there in the city, they put in the pilings. That's not fun to watch. It's fun to go see the building after it's done. Right now, we're still putting in the pilings in year two. I think there's things that you come across that are different, but as far as the answer where I'm going to be at, no one knows that.
I know that—I say we, Laura (Martindale) and myself have worked hard enough and long enough in this league that at the end of year, hopefully you have all kinds of choices. Might be grabbing my golf clubs and go play golf in Florida. Hopefully, it's a raise. Don't we all want raises? Yeah, we all do (laughter). So, I mean, you just don't know what's going to happen. I can't predict the future.
Q: But would you like to be back here?
A: Yeah. Yeah.
Q: The report said that your relationship with Daboll is in a bad place and there's a lot of tension. Can you speak to your relationship with Daboll?
A: We're fine. I mean, it's the same thing as it was last year. It was just different because we were winning more games. It's different every place you go, the relationship with the head coach and the defensive coordinator or assistants, especially when it's new. It's been, what, 22 months now, a year and a half? It's that we're going to keep working and keep trying to win. We're all focused on Green Bay.
Q: When you hear something like that, when it was first brought to your attention, how would you describe what you felt?
A: It bothers you. You know what I mean? It bothers you. Here's what he told me – I say he, Brian. After the game, he goes, 'Hey, there's a report out that you and I aren't getting along, and you're going to be fired.' I said, 'I don't pay attention to that.' This is after the New England game, I'm saying, on the field. I said, I woke up Sunday morning in Washington, and there was a Google alert on my phone – and you know how we're all addicted to our phones when you get a Google alert – and I saw the four replacements that they had for me here in New York. So, if you sat there and you based your life off of what you read, you'd be very miserable. I refuse to do that. Like I said, I care too much about these players. We care too much about these players and their success and building a program here that I'm just not going to let it affect me.
Q: You guys have different personalities. Is it fair to say you guys don't always see eye-to-eye?
A: I don't see eye-to-eye with my wife all the time. He's the head coach, and it's my job to forward his plan. And that's what I'm going to do.
Q: Part of the report said that you might not even like finish out the year here. Is there anything to that?
A: I'm still here today. Every time my key card works… It's not like I go there, and it works, and I go, 'Yeah!' (laughter). I'll be like, 'Hey, this doesn't work anymore.'
I don't make that decision, so I can't answer that question.
Q: What kind of reassurances have you been given, though?
A: We haven't even talked about it. Because like I said, to me, that's where it gets back to the players and being focused on winning this game. I hate the fact that it's a story, because it takes away from how
good Bobby Okereke is playing, how good (outside linebacker) Kayvon Thibodeaux is playing, how good (defensive lineman) Dex(ter Lawrence II) is playing, how good Nacho (defensive lineman Rakeem Nunez-Roches) and (defensive lineman) A'Shawn (Robinson) are playing, how good (safety) X(avier McKinney) has been playing the last three weeks. Because to me, it's about the players. I understand that you guys have your job. No one respects you more than I do. I understand all that. But it's just how it is and where it's at.
Q: Every one of those players said, when we asked them about it last week, that we don't feel any tension, Wink puts us in positions to succeed. What does that mean to you?
A: It means a lot. It means a lot. I think that's why you're in the profession. If you're not in the profession for that, you're in the wrong profession. If you make it about me instead of we, then you're going down the wrong street.
Q: Do you still believe in what you guys are trying to build here?
A: Yes. Without a doubt
