[What this is: Cody Alexander is a mainstay of the community of internet coaches who share x's & o's analysis, host of the Art of X Show and author of six books on defense. But mostly he's the guy behind the substack MatchQuarters, which since 2016 has been an invaluable resource for understanding a lot of defensive concepts we talk about.

The article herein, which gets into Wink Martindale's defensive philosophy, was recently published on his site. If you're a fan of Neck Sharpies and want to take the next step, Cody is offering a one-year, 20% off coupon to MGoBlog readers. Take this link. –Seth]

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Wink Martindale, the newly appointed Michigan Defensive Coordinator and former Giants and Ravens DC, is an enigma. Known for his pressures, Martindale is one of the best blitz designers in the NFL. He comes from the ‘old’ Ravens tree, which was blitz-centric and utilized a deep bag of pre-snap presentations and pressure paths.

The Giants finished 21st in DVOA this past season, and their defensive struggles led to Martindale and the organization parting ways. It's a similar situation to the one he found himself in after the '21 season, his last with the Ravens. Once deemed one of the b’s best DCs, Martindale’s units have slowly sunk to the bottom of efficiency metrics.

Though Martindale’s performance as a DC has waned, his defenses still rank at the top of the league in 1st and 3rd Down rates. The boom-or-bust system frustrates many. He is a master at attacking protections, especially on 3rd Downs.

Per PFF, the Giants had the second-highest Pass Blitz Rate (PBR) at 54.2%, right behind the Vikings (above). On 3rd Downs, that rate rose to 56.4%, enough to unseat Minnesota from the top spot. On those downs, the Giants were 13th in EPA when blitzing (-.123).

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Holding the ninth-lowest 3rd Down conversion rate in the NFL (37%), the Giants’ defense consistently found ways to attack offenses and get off the field. Against the Eagles in the final week of the regular season, the Giants held Philly to 5-13 on 3rd Downs en route to a victory. In their second matchup against the Eagles, New York consistently created pressure on both Jalen Hurts and Marcus Mariota. Hurts would finish the day 7-16 for 55 yards and one interception before being pulled.

To pressure the Eagles, Martindale used a ‘Double Mug’ presentation (above) to set up his main blitz, which they used the third most in the NFL. The Giants were also fifth in the league this past year in seven-man pressures, so when New York presents seven defenders near the line of scrimmage, offenses must prepare for an all-out attack. The blitz path Martindale decided to use was a Stride path, which has the Ni insert into the B-gap while the EDGE to that side works a contain rush (COP).

According to PFF, the Giants were 28th in Slot Blitz usage. Since the Eagles game was the last of the year, Philly was probably more concerned with a stunt from the Double Mug presentation than a blitz from the Slot. The Giants ran their Stride five-man pressure four times. The Eagles went 1-4 on those pressures, with one INT and no first downs. Martindale threw them a curveball.

Related Link: Pressure Tape - Baltimore vs Cleveland ('20)

When a defense presents a Double-Mug alignment, the RB and Center usually communicate who they will block in the A-gaps. Everyone else will have the man outside of them. The man-blocking creates opportunities for defenses to use stunts or attack the gaps left open by movement.

Internal pick stunts or ‘games’ by the D-line can create space for defenders to come free. The RB has to block, which can be an adventure for some teams. In the case of the Giants, even if the offense had used a full slide, the pressure simulates two-off-the-edge, which is a ‘beater’ for that protection.

Martindale used the fact that he rarely blitzes the Ni to set up his main pressure against the Eagles. The Giants’ presentation forced the Eagles into man-blocking, which New York used to create space for their Stride blitz. As the ball is snapped, the two defenders away from the Ni will drop to their respective Hook areas.

Instead of attempting to ‘match’ the first-level defenders on a WR, the Giants opted to run Cover 0 with two ‘rats’ (spies) in the Hooks. This past season, the Giants were 7th in Cover 0 usage at 17.5%. The concept is similar to the infamous Flores blitz that uses the slide of the offense against it, creating a free hitter off one of the edges. In this pressure, Martindale manufactures a lane in the B-gap for his Ni.

The Giants get precisely what they want from the Eagles in the first clip. The RB works to the middle of the box to assist the Center, exposing the edge. As the two D-linemen drop opposite the pressure, the left side of the Philly line collapses on the interior pressure, and the RB has no one to block.

Opposite, the EDGE COPs (can also mean ‘contain on pass’), bringing the RT while the Nose ‘faces’ the RG. The technique of the Nose ensures the RG cannot come off of him to collect the Ni as he careens towards Hurts. Self-sacrifice is critical to getting the blitzer free to the QB in many of these pressures.

Though able to scramble away, the man coverage forced Hurts to throw the ball out of bounds. Internal pressure by the Giants collapsed the blocks and essentially blinded the RB from seeing the Ni coming into the box. The RG couldn’t fan to the blitz because he had to assume the LB pressure in the A-gap occupied the Center. This was classic manipulation by Martindale.

Related Link: Miami's 7-O look is more than just a "cool" pressure.

In the 2nd Quarter, the Eagles leave a TE near the box to assist in the protection along with the RB. The O-line will slide to the RB, and the Giants mug their Weak Safety to hold the RB to that side. The RB will take the first threat outside-in, so the presence of the Safety blinds him from the Ni pressures (which New York doesn’t tip off).

As the ball is snapped, the Eagles slide to the drop-outs, and the RB chips the COP by the LB working from the A-gap. Again, the EDGE to the Ni and the technique by the Nose ‘buy’ the linemen to that side, leaving a runway for the Ni straight to the QB. Hurts, sensing pressure, throws a completion short of the sticks. Unlike the first clip, the Giants run a Fire Zone or 3-Under/3-Deep coverage.

Related Link: Clemson's Red Zone Fire Zones vs. North Carolina in the ACC Championship

The Eagles wised up at the end of the 1st Half, leaving the RB to the side of the Ni and sliding the line to the TE. New York ran a Fire Zone coverage again, and Hurts launched a ball down the field. Though Philly was able to handle the pressure from their adjustment, the Giants were able to intercept the ball, creating the second interception of the game.

Related Link: Troy's 2-Steal five-man pressure

In the final clip, the Giants return to their Double Mug Ni pressure early in the 4th Quarter but make a few design tweaks. Instead of a true four-down Double Mug alignment, New York runs an Under Front with the Nose in the A-gap to the passing strength. The ILB to the Ni’s side now mugs the B-gap. The slight adjustment assists in the manipulation of the protection.

The Eagles go with an Empty formation but leave the TE to check-release, which assists the edge of the protection. Martindale calls the same path, but the Ni can now press the TE pre-snap, getting him in prime position to blitz the box. In Empty protection, the O-line will slide together in one direction. In the clip, Philly slides away from the TE.

When the ball snaps, the TE blocks out on the EDGE, who steps towards him and stops. The LT slides down on the blitzing ILB to the B-gap, which is his responsibility in Slide protection (next man over). The Ni now has a clear path to the QB.

Martindale switches the drop-outs by having the DT and ILB opposite the Ni drop to the Hooks. Like the first clip, the Giants run Cover 0 with two ‘rats’ behind their pressure. The Giants do this because the Ni will hit the pressure fast, and Martindale wants a solid edge opposite the blitz to keep Mariota in the pocket; think of it like a vice.

In the previous clips, the Giants used an internal COP to ‘eat’ the blocks of the O-line as New York’s defenders dropped out. The move kept them occupied and assisted in keeping the Ni clean. Later, the Eagles adjusted to the pressure, so Martindale needed a slight change-up.

When coaches talk about in-game adjustments, they refer to slight tweaks to concepts already in place. The Giants didn’t reinvent the wheel in this last clip; they just moved responsibility and changed the front from which the path was run. The adjustment ensured the path would hit home against the Eagles’ protection adjustments, and Mariota had no escape route.

Related Link: tacking Empty – A Case Study (Indiana vs Tennessee ‘20)

Martindale may lack the luster he once had as a defensive play caller, but his knack for creating pressure must be recognized. The Giants, even while not producing at an efficient level on all downs, were still one of the better third-down teams in the NFL. Marindale’s pressure package stems from the Ravens tree that has, at times, dominated football.

The Stride ‘dog’ (single LB blitz) is an example of Martindale’s overall plan that keeps pressures simple for the defenses but complicated for the offense. The Giant's ability to flip the pressure late in the game exemplifies how Martindale creates pressure by using simple ‘dog tags’ to engage defenders and tell them where to go. These pressures can be amplified by adding defenders, from simulated pressures to six/seven-man blitzes.

Related Link: Using A Simple "DOG" Scheme To Create Sim Pressures

The blitz-centric style has lost favor over the years as a total package. Still, Martindale’s blitz tapes are always a must-watch. If you are looking for 3rd Down ideas or want to learn more about how to attack protections, Martindale’s defenses are always a great place to start. Big Ten QBs are definitely on notice, especially on 3rd Downs.