The Baltimore Ravens are in the midst of their first-round bye in the playoffs. And by being the best team in the league, offensive coordinator Greg Roman and defensive coordinator Don Martindale are getting quite a lot of attention for some vacancies elsewhere.
Martindale confirmed the New York Giants had put in a request to interview him for their head-coaching opening, according to ESPN’s Jamison Hensley.
While the Ravens had the top-ranked defensive unit last year, Martindale really worked some magic in 2019 and is earning serious praise for it. With a huge roster turnover including key starters like Terrell Suggs, Eric Weddle, C.J. Mosley and Za’Darius Smith all leaving in the offseason, it was expected the defense would suffer accordingly. Yet with some quick action by general manager Eric DeCosta to bring in impact free agents and trade for cornerback Marcus Peters in the middle of the season, Martindale was able to turn the defense around and once again make them a top unit.
At the end of the regular season, Baltimore ranks third in points allowed and fourth in yards allowed. They’ve handled some of the better offenses in the league along the way while putting up some points themselves, returning turnovers into the end zone for scores. In total, defenders have scored seven times this season (two pick-sixes, four fumble returns for touchdowns and a safety).
Martindale had previously said it would take a dream job for him to leave the Ravens. And with plenty of question marks surrounding Giants general manager Dave Gettleman, New York might not end up being it. However, with a franchise quarterback and a top running back already in place, the Giants might not be the worst situation to walk into either.
Teams can’t hire any of Baltimore’s staff until their season is over — either when they’ve been eliminated from the playoffs or until after they played in Super Bowl LIV. But teams can request an interview with them while the Ravens are on their bye week.
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