Wink Martindale on third down woes, more: ‘I don’t see missed tackles as some other people see it’
Wink Martindale’s Michigan’s defense was going to be different this year after losing a fantastic, complementary offense and some outstanding talent to the NFL. The first year coordinator told his group that before the season, he said Monday, noting each season is different.
Still, many expected it to be better than it’s been through nine games. One of the biggest areas of concern – the Wolverines are 110th nationally on third down defense. They’ve been unable to get off the field on third and short, third and long, and everything in between. Oregon finished 10 of 15 last week against a depleted Michigan secondary down two corners, but they’d been struggling even before Will Johnson and Jyaire Hill went down.
“I think you play with who you’ve got,” Martindale said when asked about third down struggles. “That’s a really good team. They’re ranked just like Indiana is, high on third down … so some space plays were just missed. We [also] have to find some different ways to affect the quarterback, which is hard to do down men and everything else …
“You saw two different halves against Oregon. I like the way we attacked and played at Michigan State. The last three games, I think what I’ve been most impressed with is the fight. Each and every one of the coaches and the kids in these games and how they responded to some difficult situations.”
Depth isn’t where it needs to be, either, which also factors in to third down woes. There have been many times against tempo offenses (and even regular speed) in which defenders were breathing heavily after playing a lot of snaps, especially up front.
“We harp on trying to get our depth to come along,” Martindale continued. “I think a couple guys are starting to step up now finally. You don’t have to play so many guys for so long. It’s one of those things that’s a tough spot for position coaches and also myself.
“When the game is on the line, you want Mason [Graham], KG [Kenneth Grant], your guys in the game. A lot of these games we’ve played of late, the game’s been on the line for four quarters. It’s hard to find that sweet spot.”
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It hurts when it comes to tackling, too. The Wolverines missed 18 tackles against the Spartans according to Pro Football Focus but still won 24-17, but improved and missed only 5 against the Ducks. Martindale bristled at the suggestion that it had been an issue “throughout the year.”
“I think we’ve had some missed tackles, some games where individuals missed some tackles. I see them working better with their angles and eyes,” Martindale said. “We’ve done tackling circuits really the last three, four weeks. It gets them more focused on angles and everything else.
“Also, I think there’s a part to the game where there’s a lot of space out there, and they have guys on scholarship, too. Sometimes, he makes people miss. I don’t see the missed tackles as some other people see it. I think we’ve done a nice job of playing hard. That’s been a trademark forever and will continue to be a trademark. Just run to the football, have good eyes and good angles, and you’ll tackle better.”
They’ll need to in order to upset an Indiana team playing as well as just about anyone in the country.
