Wink Martindale Keeps Opposing Coaches Guessing
It was noted in Tuesday's Late for Work that several teams reportedly are looking at Defensive Coordinator Wink Martindale as a head coach candidate. One of the reasons Martindale is held in such high regard is that his schemes are so creative and unpredictable that opposing coaches never know what to expect, which makes devising an offensive game plan a difficult task.
"In Martindale's three-year tenure as coordinator, the Ravens' defense has been one of the NFL's best, but a more apt description is that it's been perhaps the most creative in the league," Penn Live's Aaron Kasinitz wrote. "And while Baltimore's opponents each week must scramble to prepare for the uniqueness of quarterback Lamar Jackson, several coaches have said it's also an immense challenge to guess what tricks Martindale will unveil."
New York Giants Head Coach Joe Judge, whose team faces the Ravens on Sunday, talked about the challenge of facing Martindale's defense. (Incidentally, Martindale interviewed for the Giants head coach job in January.)
"Wink does a great job of spinning the dial," Judge said. "He manages to have a lot of combinations of blitzes and pressures throughout the game. Everyone gets a swing of the bat, as we say, with them. It's corners, it's safeties, it's nickels, it's linebackers. It's one at a time, it's two at a time, it's all of them coming. They'll play cover zero, and they'll drop into max coverage and change it up on you."
Kasinitz gave several examples of Martindale using his personnel in unconventional ways this season.
"This year, Baltimore outside linebacker Tyus Bowser, once a situational pass rusher, is tied for the team lead with three interceptions," Kasinitz wrote. "Conversely, in a blowout win over the Bengals in October, an NFL record five Ravens defensive backs recorded sacks, as their typical responsibilities as cover players for blitzing duties.
"Defensive end Calais Campbell, a 13th-year veteran, totaled three pass deflections over 32 games in the 2018 and '19 seasons while playing for the Jaguars. During Campbell's Ravens debut in September, Martindale decided to have the 6-foot-8 Pro Bowler sink back into coverage on several occasions as a part of a plan to baffle Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield. Baltimore earned a 38-6 win and Campbell deflected three passes in one afternoon alone."
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