What Giants’ Don Martindale hire means for Commanders offense

Much to the delight of fans, the Washington Commanders haven’t undergone any coaching turnover in the last two seasons.

The same cannot be said for the other NFC East teams, however.

The Eagles, for starters, just wrapped up Nick Sirianni’s first year as head coach. With Sirianni’s arrival, Philadelphia’s offensive staff has undergone a complete overhaul, including at offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.

After much turbulence following their first-round playoff exit, the Cowboys’ staff looks like it’ll remain in tact. Dan Quinn passed on becoming a head coach to return as defensive coordinator and Kellen Moore is returning as OC after he lost out to Mike McDaniel for the Dolphins’ head coach vacancy.

The Giants, on the other hand, have implemented wholesale changes this offseason. To make a long story short, GM Dave Gettleman, head coach Joe Judge, DC Patrick Graham and OC Jason Garrett have been replaced by Joe Schoen, Brian Daboll, Don “Wink” Martindale and Mike Kafka, respectively.

It’s a complete facelift for the Giants, who are looking to become a flagship franchise again after a decade spent being a laughingstock.

On the surface, these all seem like solid hires for New York. For the sake of time, though, let’s center on Martindale and what his appointment as defensive coordinator means for the Commanders’ offense going forward.

The Giants have a new DC in Don Martindale. What does this mean for the Commanders’ offense?

In a vacuum, the Commanders can expect an improved and more organized defense under Martindale. That’s not to say Graham was a poor defensive coordinator. Martindale just has an extensive track record of success.

In three years with Martindale as the DC, the Ravens finished second, third and first in points allowed per game from 2018 to 2020, respectively. Comparatively, they ranked first, third and sixth in yards allowed during that same span.

So, how does Martindale muster consistent results from his defense? Well, it’s pretty simple, actually. He’s a master at the art of deception.

With exotic pressure schemes and one of the highest blitz rates in the NFL (Baltimore ranked sixth in blitz percentage in 2021), Martindale has made a habit out of getting at least one pass rusher with a free run at the quarterback.

By consistently crowding the line of scrimmage, the 58-year-old disguises his objective, which, in turn, leads to communication issues from offensive lines. He’s a big proponent of Cover 1 defense, which is a risky approach, but helps create the organized chaos his system requires.

Per Pro Football Focus, the 2021 Ravens were in Cover 1 23.3% of the time on first down, 21.1% on second, 30.7% (!) on third and 22.2% on fourth down. If you thought those numbers were crazy, Martindale ran Cover 0 (zero safety help and at least six rushers) 14.4% of the time on third down and 38.9% on fourth down.

In sum, the Commanders will need to learn how to handle the blitz vs the new-look Giants. Most of that responsibility will fall on center Chase Roullier, who’ll need to diagnose which defenders are rushing and which ones are being disguised.

The quarterback will obviously play a vital role in that, too, but a potential rookie starter shouldn’t be expected to dissect one of the game’s most innovative defensive coordinators. If the Commanders do end up starting a rookie, Martindale’s presence will make the Giants an even tougher matchup in 2022.