The rumored discord between Giants head coach Brian Daboll and defensive coordinator Wink Martindale has taken an odd turn. Despite recent reports of tension and rumors of potential job losses for both coordinators, the team has vehemently denied any issues and has attempted to divert attention elsewhere.

A New York Post piece by Mark Cannizzaro, published on the day of our report, included accounts from players and staff members refuting the idea of a rift. Daboll himself expressed his “respect” for Martindale, telling the media, “I’d say the biggest argument that Wink and I have had is who has the last piece of pizza.”

Daboll runs a secretive operation aimed at eliminating distractions, so it’s hard to take his statements at face value. Furthermore, a report by Pat Leonard of New York Daily News described a press conference in which general manager Joe Schoen and Daboll failed to downplay the situation.

For the second consecutive day, Daboll made a joke about him and Martindale being hearty eaters, stating, “I just met with Wink a little while ago. We had donuts.” This was followed by Schoen repeatedly deflecting questions about Martindale’s future to Daboll, claiming that Daboll had already discussed these matters with the media, which was not the case.

While it’s currently a matter of opinion, those present seem to strongly believe in the alleged discord between Daboll and Martindale. The Giants’ attempts to shift focus have not proven to be effective.

Here are a few other rumors from the NFC East:

• Our own Adam La Rose recently provided a detailed analysis of the potential contract extension for Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network has now speculated that an extended contract may need to be in place before Prescott is due a $5MM roster bonus on the fifth day of the new league year, which starts on March 13.
• Last season, Jourdan Lewis of the Cowboys underwent season-ending surgery for a Lisfranc injury, leading to concerns about his future. Fortunately, Lewis fought back and has played in every game past Week 1 for the Cowboys this year.
• After firing Jack Del Rio, the Commanders have turned to Cristian Garcia as their interim defensive backs coach. Garcia faced a challenging task in his first week with increased responsibility, going up against the Dolphins.