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Following another brutal loss on Sunday, New York Giants safety Xavier McKinney went public with criticism against Giants defensive coordinator Wink Martindale. McKinney expressed his frustration with the team and pointed a subtle finger at Martindale's game plan against the Las Vegas Raiders.
“I think that from a leadership standpoint, I don’t think they’ve done a great job of letting the leaders lead, and listening to the leaders and the captains,” said McKinney.
“When you got guys out there that are playing and seeing different things and are being vocal and communicating that with the coaches and whoever — and are not being heard — it’s hard to go out there and be able to make plays and do things of that nature.”
Giants' difficult season
McKinney later added that they are now on the “same page.”
McKinney is one of New York's team captains, so messages like this will always spiral around the entire locker room. He may have just had initial post-game bitterness since the Giants now lie at the bottom of the NFC East with a 2-7 record, but he cleared the air on his future with the team.
“I love being here,” McKinney said, per Charean Williams of Pro Football Talk. “I love this team. I love this organization. Obviously, they’re the organization that gave me a chance in the first place. They’re the ones that drafted me and made my dreams come true. My heart lays here, and I feel at home for the time that I’ve been here. I would love to continue being here.”
It's a normal occurrence for any NFL star to express their frustration, which shows a sense of care. McKinney's relationship with Martindale is going to be extremely important for the team moving forward, so hopefully this can just be a bump on the road.
