ILB – Blake Martinez
For much of the season, Blake Martinez has been fantastic, and he leads the Giants with 118 total tackles, including 68 solo tackles.
However, while it is noteworthy that he was battling an injured back last Sunday, he made little impact against the Arizona Cardinals.
Beginning Sunday against the Browns’ Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt, followed by the Baltimore Ravens’ ground attack led by quarterback Lamar Jackson, Martinez might be the most important player on the field for the Giants’ defense against a pair of AFC North power-running teams.
Martinez is the ninth-highest graded run-stopper in the NFL, according to PFF, with a 74.9 run-stopping grade. But, if the Giants are going to get across the finish line and overtake the Washington Football Team for the NFC East championship, Martinez is going to need to be even better and even more consistent.
Matt Lombardo is the site expert for GMenHQ, and writes Between The Hash Marks each Wednesday for FanSided. Follow Matt on Twitter: @MattLombardoNFL.