Jihad Ward Calls 'Bulls--t' on Giants Rumors of Brian Daboll, Wink Martindale Tension

New York Giants linebacker Jihad Ward pushed back against rumors of a rift between head coach Brian Daboll and defensive coordinator Wink Martindale.

"Whatever is out there in the media, that's saying that Wink and Dabes got beef, that's bulls--t," he said, per The Athletic's Dan Duggan.

"We're just trying to win games," Ward also said. "Those guys never had [any] type of heated situation. It's all about communication. So they're real close

On Sunday, Fox Sports' Jay Glazer reported Daboll and Martindale "are in a bad place" with their working relationship and that the "tension" between them is palpable within the organization.

New York proceeded to earn a 10-7 win over the New England Patriots, a game that saw the Giants hold the Patriots to 283 yards and intercept three passes. Daboll gave Martindale the game ball in his postgame speech inside the locker room.

Daboll brushed aside the recent rumors as well, telling reporters he's "got a lot of respect for Wink" and "glad he's on the staff."

ESPN's Jordan Raanan provided more context to Glazer's report, laying out how Daboll and Martindale "ave opposite approaches, which is evident on a weekly basis on the sideline." The extent to which New York's offensive struggles have impacted the defense "has contributed to straining the relationship" as well, per Raanan.

For now at least, it appears everybody is on the same page.