By Alex Woodward
The Ravens are nearly a week away from their first preseason game and while most fans are excited about the potential for the secondary it seems as though the lack of a pass rush has gone overlooked. Having arguably the best secondary in the NFL is useful but it doesn't matter how good they are if you can't generate a pass rush. No one in today's NFL can guard receivers longer than 7 seconds without someone getting open...so finding production in the front seven will be key.
With two of their top pass rushers - Terrell Suggs and Z'Darius Smith - leaving in free agency this offseason the Ravens are hoping to find some kind of replacement for that production. They signed former Raven, Pernell McPhee and they also added former 1st round draft pick Shane Ray in free agency. They are also hoping that Tim Williams and Tyus Bowser can finally make an impact in the pass rush as well but I don't think anyone is holding their breath. Talent is important but I would argue people are sleeping on the secret weapon for the Ravens pass rush...Don "Wink" Martindale.
Baltimore boasted the leagues top ranked defense last season in "Wink's" first year as the Ravens defensive coordinator. He took the same pieces from a Dean Pees defense that finished as the 12th ranked total defense in 2017 and constantly showed a penchant for blowing games in the 4th quarter to the top ranked defense in the NFL. Why? His scheme. Martindale has been more aggressive in general but especially on 3rd and long situations or "do or die" situations. For example, he played Cover Zero (sending a ton of players on a blitz while not having any free safety help) three straight plays to end the Browns game which clinched the AFC North crown for them last year. That's something that Pees would have never had the guts to do and it shows how confident Wink is in his defenses ability to execute.
Not only is he aggressive, he's also creative with how he maneuvers the defense. A lot of Martindale's system is predicated on communication pre-snap and making on-the-fly adjustments. It's not just calling a play and rolling with it. It's about teaching the defense how to read what the offense might be doing and teaching them how to make those adjustments. That's a very underrated quality in Martindale.
Obviously, he doesn't have as much talent as you would like for the Ravens pass rush, so the focus will be on how to free up guys like Matthew Judon - who will likely be getting double teamed in passing situations. Wink's ability to scheme up ways to free up a pass rusher will be paramount to the Ravens success in the pass rush. I fully expect to see exotic blitz packages, unique personnel packages and the same level of aggression as last year. The Ravens might not have the marquee pass rushing names you would like to see on defense but they do have a defensive guru who will be just as important to the pass rush as the talent on the field.