ExtremeRavens Posted Thursday at 11:02 PM Posted Thursday at 11:02 PM Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken is a busy man, especially this time of year. Now in his second season in Baltimore, the 58-year-old assistant is the play caller for one of the league’s top offenses spearheaded by NFL Most Valuable Player Award candidate Lamar Jackson and star running back Derrick Henry. His next challenge? Helping lead the Ravens to the AFC championship game for a second straight season with a win over the Bills on Sunday night. Game planning for an opponent as talented and physical as Buffalo is challenging enough, but Monken also has his own career to worry about. Because of Baltimore’s success over the past two seasons, particularly on offense, he’s become a sought-after coaching candidate. Monken was expected to interview with the Jacksonville Jaguars on Thursday and the Chicago Bears on Friday for their open positions, according to ESPN. Last season, Monken interviewed with the Atlanta Falcons, Los Angeles Chargers and Carolina Panthers. Unfortunately for him and the Ravens, the coaching carousel spins quickly this time of year, forcing Monken to balance his responsibilities with the team that currently employs him with the prospect of taking over another franchise after the postseason. The New England Patriots, who ended their season on Jan. 5, hired Mike Vrabel a week after firing first-year coach Jerod Mayo. Along with the Jaguars and Bears, the Dallas Cowboys, New York Jets, New Orleans Saints and Las Vegas Raiders are in their own processes of selecting a new coach. It’s an awkward position that Monken acknowledges is less than ideal, especially for fans who might be upset about seeing a coach from their favorite team considering their next job while the playoffs are still underway. He took heavy criticism after last season’s 17-10 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC title game largely because the top-seeded Ravens gave their running backs just six total carries, a disappointing performance that he later said “starts with me.” “The way the system is set up is unfortunate,” he said after Thursday’s practice in Owings Mills. “But I’m excited to play the Bills. That’s where my mind’s at.” Could that system be changed, perhaps mandating that interviews for assistant coaches participating in the postseason take place after the Super Bowl? Monken was skeptical. “I don’t think there’s any easy way, or they’d already be doing it,” he said. “It is what it is. It’s like trying to figure out things … They’ve been trying to figure it out. There’s no easy way. There’s no easy solution, so it is what it is.” Monken said that he did any work he needed to do to prepare for coaching interviews during the offseason so as not to take away from his duties with the Ravens. Baltimore opened the postseason with a dominant performance in a 28-14 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, piling up 308 total yards, including 164 on the ground, in the first half to take a 21-0 lead. “All of my focus last week was on the Steelers, and all of my focus this week is on the Bills,” he said. “I love the job I have. I really do. I’ve got a great job here.” Have a news tip? Contact sports editor C.J. Doon at cdoon@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/CJDoon. View the full article Quote
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