What Declan Doyle Plans to Learn From Preseason Opener
The Ravens' preseason opener will be Offensive Coordinator Declan Doyle's debut as a play caller, and he admits he's amped thinking about it.
After weeks of calling plays in practice, Doyle's initial dress rehearsal in a game situation will be Saturday (7 p.m.) when the Philadelphia Eagles visit M&T Bank Stadium. For Doyle, it won't be just another preseason game.
"I'm really excited for it," Doyle said. "I'm excited to watch our guys play, that's the No. 1 thing. But it's going to be the first time being able to sit there and call our offense. There's nothing that (can) simulate a Saturday or Sunday and your guys going out there and playing ball."
Quarterback Lamar Jackson won't play, nor will most of the Ravens' starters. However, Doyle wants the offensive execution to be sharp regardless of who's in the lineup.
Doyle hasn't decided whether he'll call plays from the sideline or the coach's box during the regular season. He'll try both locations during the preseason before deciding.
"The No. 1 thing on game day is that the play caller gets the play into the quarterback as fast he can with confidence in that play call, and make sure that the operation can operate," Doyle said. "No. 2 is the communication aspect with the coaching staff, with the players.
"If I'm up in the box and I feel really good about the communication, that's one thing. If I'm like, 'I really want to be down(stairs), I really want to talk to the QB' … I won't really know without being able to experience it."
While his preseason game plan will likely be pretty vanilla, Doyle did reveal that he will try to script as much of the game as possible.
"I read a book by [former San Francisco 49ers head coach] Bill Walsh a long time ago, and he basically talked about how the more decisions you make in the air conditioning [the better] because guys have a good feel for what you're going to call," Doyle said. "You've made the decision based on data and facts, rather than being out there and it kind of feels a certain way and you may lead yourself astray from where you should go."
Doyle said his gameday duties last year in Chicago were to mainly inform Bears head coach and offensive play-caller Ben Johnson what the down and distance was as fast as possible. Doyle didn't have time to think about what play he would call.
However, Doyle has been studying some of the most highly respected offensive play callers in the game, even including ones he didn't work for such as the Los Angeles Rams' Sean McVay and San Francisco 49ers' Kyle Shanahan.
"You watch the sequencing," Doyle said. "This is my eighth year in the NFL. Really since the beginning, you start to watch those guys and how they craft a game plan, how they attack a defense. Those are things you're trying to emulate when you're building a plan as an assistant, and certainly something that we're trying to do as an offensive staff as well."
Anthony Weaver Looks for Sweet Spot in New Sideline Role
Defensive Coordinator Anthony Weaver will use the preseason to help determine where he can have the most impact during games.
Weaver spent the previous two seasons as the Miami Dolphins' defensive coordinator, where he was the defensive play caller. Head Coach Jesse Minter will be Baltimore's defensive play caller, which will give Weaver a different gameday role.
"I am still going to try to figure out exactly what that is and where I can be most helpful to help the team, and what I can do for Jesse to help him on game day, too," Weaver said.
"That is a work in progress and just another thing I look forward to trying to attack, and just making sure that I am not wasting the wisdom that I have gathered throughout the years on the sideline. I am going to find a way to help the team on Saturdays and Sundays."
Weaver, a physical former defensive lineman who spent his first four NFL seasons (2002-05) with the Ravens, is a hands-on coach who commands a room. He's been a defensive line coach, a run game coordinator, a defensive line coach, an assistant head coach, and a defensive coordinator.
Having worn so many hats, Weaver is sorting out which of his strengths will fit the team best on game days.
"Jesse is going to have a bunch of other things on his plate, so I imagine most of the work that I can help the guys with will be in between series, and essentially trying to make sure whatever we see — both from a head coach's perspective and a coordinator's perspective — I can deliver that message to the guys and make sure that it is all getting done," Weaver said.
What Doyle Is Looking for in Center Competition
The Ravens' center competition is still raging on even after the team signed veteran Ethan Pocic on July 23.
Danny Pinter continues to see a lot of action as Pocic gets back up to speed following his Achilles tear in early December.
"We're still a ways away from being able to determine exactly who that guy is," Doyle said. "Obviously, Ethan is coming off of that injury and so we want to make sure it's a fair battle, but all those guys are doing a good job with the offense."
Doyle said the center's most important trait is effective communication.
"All those guys are doing a good job of both communicating to their teammates and also leading in certain ways," Doyle said. "I am feeling a lot more of, we run a play, we're coming off, and the center is talking to those around him now — which is something that wasn't happening as much in the spring."
Roles Still Being Determined in Tight End Room
Mark Andrews had perhaps his best practice of training camp Wednesday. He caught a touchdown over a defender's head in a red-zone drill and also hauled in a pass in traffic near the goal line.
While Andrews will lead the unit and be a big part of the offense, the roles of those behind him, particularly of rookies Matt Hibner and Josh Cuevas, are still being sorted out. Doyle said "nothing is set."
"Over time, roles play themselves out as we continue the installs and introduce different concepts and things and ask guys to be in different spots. Today, you're watching us do short-yardage [situations], and we're figuring out who those guys are that we can trust in situations like that. They're very technical," Doyle said.
"The tight end position – because they really have a role in pass-game protection and the run game – those are a lot of jobs to have to evaluate. I certainly have a vision of utilizing that position, and at the same point in time, who is doing which role kind of sorts itself out over time."
