NFL: Baltimore Ravens DC Wink Martindale deserves more credit than given to him

Ravens DC Wink Martindale
Ravens DC Wink Martindale

Wink Martindale was the talk of the town. While the Baltimore Ravens lost star QB Lamar Jackson right at the end of the third quarter against the Buffalo Bills in the divisional round playoff game, which they lost 17-3, there was plenty to praise for the Ravens. One was the Ravens' defense, led by defensive coordinator Wink Martindale.

Coming into the end of the regular season, the Ravens defense ranked 7th overall, allowing 329.8 total yards to opposing teams. Tonight, the Ravens defense pushed to the top of the postseason defensive list, ranking first overall and allowing just 209 total yards per game.

This says a lot about the Baltimore Ravens defense, considering the Bills had the second-best offense in the league, averaging 396.4 total yards per game in the regular season.

The Ravens held Bills QB Josh Allen to just 206 yards and one touchdown. They also limited his run ability to just three yards. Speaking of the run game, it was rather nonexistent for the Bill's game plan, as they had a total of just 16 rushes for 31 yards.

However, the secondary could not handle Pro Bowl receiver Stefon Diggs, who had 106 yards and a touchdown for the night. Despite having one of the best-ranked secondaries per PFF, both Diggs and John Brown were rather exposing star cornerbacks Marcus Peters, Marlon Humphrey, and Jimmy Smith.


What's next for Wink Martindale?

As of right now, no team with a head coach vacancy has requested an interview with the DC who has been with the Baltimore Ravens since 2012. Wink Martindale was promoted to the DC position in 2018 and under his coordination, has kept the Ravens a top-10 defense.

Wink Martindale should at least be interviewed for an HC position, otherwise, in 2022 he could certainly see an even bigger chance to be considered for a future HC vacancy. Either way, the Raven's defense will stay deadly under his coaching.

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Edited by Ashwin