ExtremeRavens Posted 11 hours ago Posted 11 hours ago The top news to come out of the Ravens’ introductory news conference for their new coordinators Wednesday was a declaration by offensive coordinator Declan Doyle. Despite all the record-setting accomplishments by two-time Most Valuable Player and quarterback Lamar Jackson, the ninth-year player was going to have to make some adjustments in Doyle’s variation of the West Coast offense. There is the play called in the huddle, and then there is Jackson improvising. One needs more consistency, even though the best moments for the Ravens have always been Jackson running around and making plays. Not anymore. “That first can be more consistent at times, with his eyes, his footwork within the system,” Doyle, 29, said. “That’s kind of what I’ve noticed is that we’ve watched the tape, and this is stuff — as soon as he gets in here — I’m really fired up to sit with him and start to talk through a lot of that stuff because you don’t always get the full picture until you’re really sitting with a player and talking. “How are you being coached or what were you supposed to be looking at? And once you start to be able to have that dialogue, that’s where progress exists.” This will be interesting. Doyle’s offense is predicated on short to intermediate passes that create space and features a power running game. Timing on routes is a key, an area in which Jackson has to improve. Whenever he has struggled, it was always through sloppy and faulty mechanics. The Ravens rarely used short-timing patterns, except possibly to Rashod Bateman on slants to the wide side of the field. Quick hitch patterns had become obsolete, and there was no such thing as a deep comeback pattern, which the team is still unlikely to use. “With Lamar, obviously, the biggest thing with him is that a defense has to defend two plays on every play,” Doyle said. “They have to defend the first play that we call that we have designed and game-planned, and try to stress the defense. And then they have to defend the second element, which is Lamar creating on his own, that second act, which is the stuff that he has done since he was a kid.” It’s a sound concept. According to Doyle, he has spent more than an hour on Zoom with Jackson during the interview process, and they have traded a few text messages. Jackson’s relationship with former coach John Harbaugh and offensive coordinator Todd Monken was strained in 2025, and even Monken has admitted that the communication with his quarterback needed to be better. View this post on Instagram But the positive news is that the Ravens hopefully will reach a new contract extension with Jackson before free agency begins on March 11. That could solve some of his differences with the ballclub last season, which included Jackson missing midweek practices because of injuries. This offense, though, isn’t all about Jackson. The Ravens kept forgetting about running back Derrick Henry and panicked in playoff losses to both Kansas City and Buffalo in two of the previous three seasons. “When I talk about physicality, it is those guys trying to impose their will on the defense, trying to create expansion in the offense and the run game,” Doyle said. “Us being detailed across the board, whether that is in the passing game, the route detail, the quarterback’s footwork, his eyes, all those things, or how all our jobs fit in the run game.” The Ravens need to improve their play on the offensive line. Both starting guards, Andrew Vorhees and Daniel Faalele, struggled last season as well as second-year player and right tackle Roger Rosengarten. Center Tyler Linderbaum is a free agent and has been criticized for his lack of size (6-foot-2, 305 pounds) so it wouldn’t be surprising if he ended up in New York with his old head coach. The receivers could use an upgrade, too. Bateman is the X-factor, but it’s hard to tell what you’re going to get from him game to game. They have Zay Flowers, who is excellent in the slot, but would be more effective if the Ravens had a big, No. 1 receiver on the outside. But this offense starts and ends with Jackson. If he learns the offense and plays well, like second-year quarterback Caleb Wiliams did last year in Chicago’s offense, the Ravens have a decent shot of advancing into the postseason. As a rookie, Williams threw for 3,541 passing yards and 20 touchdowns. Last year, Williams had 3,942 passing yards and 27 touchdowns as the Bears improved from 5-12 to 11-6 and won their first playoff game since 2010. Jackson doesn’t need a complete overhaul, just to get better. Doyle, though, has another new job. In Chicago, coach Ben Johnson approved all his game plans. In Baltimore, Doyle will call the plays. “Knowledge is power,” he said, “and if they feel like you can help them and they feel you can help accelerate their careers and our a goals as team, guys are willing to listen, guys are willing to be taught and to grow and work together. “There are similarities in the jobs, but now being the last guy to see it, articulating the visions, being able to sell that to the players, and then ultimately, being able to call the plays on game day was what attracted me to this opportunity.” Have a news tip? Contact Mike Preston at epreston@baltsun.com, 410-332-6467 and x.com/MikePrestonSun. View the full article Quote
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.