Blake Martinez: Odell Beckham’s ‘boat picture’ motivated 2016 Packers

New York Giants LB Blake Martinez says the 2016 Green Bay Packers were motivated by Odell Beckham Jr.’s infamous boat picture in 2016.

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Long before he was a tackling machine in the middle of the New York Giants’ defense, linebacker Blake Martinez was a member of the Green Bay Packers.

During that time with the Packers, Martinez lined up across from the Giants a time or two, including in the wild card round of the 2016 playoffs.

Fans of the Giants may remember that game vividly. The team was coming off an impressive 11-5 campaign and superstar wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. was poised to go off in his first ever playoff game.

But that didn’t happen. Instead, the Giants were routed, 38-13, and Beckham ended up punching a hole in the Lambeau Field wall after the game.

Are we forgetting something?

Oh, right… Earlier that week, Beckham and fellow wide receivers, Sterling Shepard, Victor Cruz and Roger Lewis Jr., were photographed on a boat partying in Miami with musical artist Trey Songz. Justin Bieber also joined them on their excursion.

Understandably, the Giants foursome drew heavy criticism for their decision-making which was only compounded by the loss to the Packers.

Cruz has said the boat photo will forever haunt him and now Martinez has acknowledged that it provided Green Bay with a little added motivation going into that wild card game.

“The Boat picture leading up to the game . . . gave us a good amount of motivation, and understanding of like, ‘I don’t think these guys are completely locked in’ going into the game,” Martinez told the New York Post.

The Packers, who went on to lose the NFC Championship Game against the Atlanta Falcons, certainly didn’t need added motivation going into that game, but Beckham & Co. were all to happy to provide it.

Since that photo was taken, the Giants are 12-42, Beckham has been traded to the Cleveland Browns, the team has gone through several different head coaches and are onto a new general manager (and may soon be onto another).

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