Offensive Coordinator Declan Doyle said he never considered reducing Mark Andrews' targets despite his rugged start against the Atlanta Falcons.
The three-time Pro Bowl tight end dropped a potential touchdown pass on Baltimore's opening drive and saw his first-quarter fumble returned for a touchdown.
However, Andrews eventually made four catches for 28 yards, including a pair of first-down grabs in overtime. As the franchise's all-time leader in receptions, receiving yards, and touchdowns, Andrews has earned plenty of trust among teammates and his first-year coordinator. Doyle said he didn't hesitate going back to Andrews.
"I think it depends on the player," Doyle said. "Mark is somebody I feel like is very resilient. Regardless of what's going on, I don't feel like what's happening right now is going to impact the next play. I don't really have an issue going back to him.
"He embodies what it means to be a Raven, the way he works every day, the way he leads that group. We love Mark, we trust Mark."
Doyle said Andrews took accountability immediately after the game, another trait that Doyle admires.
"After the game, nobody's harder on him than himself," Doyle said. "We come in the locker room and he's like, 'Man, I've got to be a lot better." I've got to be better, too. We all do. We look at the tape and figure it out and we keep moving forward. He's a big part of our offense. We trust him, we love him being here. We'll keep working."
Andrews has gotten off to a strong start this season with 22 catches for 177 yards and a touchdown. He continues to get open and his run blocking has been instrumental in Doyle's offense.
Doyle Got Todd Monken's Advice Before Joining Ravens
Browns Head Coach Todd Monken spent the previous three seasons as Baltimore's offensive coordinator and has known Doyle since he was a child. Monken and Doyle's father, Chris Doyle, worked together on Notre Dame's staff in the early 1990's and are friends.
When Doyle was deciding whether to remain with the Chicago Bears as offensive coordinator or join the Ravens, he called Monken for advice.
"His advice to me was, 'Take the job,'" Monken said. "He spoke glowingly of the organization, the people, the players. If he had said, 'Hey, don't touch that place,' I would've placed a lot of value in that. But that was not the case. He had really good things to say. I'm glad he gave me that advice."
Coaching against Monken on Sunday will stir up emotions for Doyle, similar to Week 1, when he coached against his brother, Dillon, who is a quality control coach for the Indianapolis Colts. Doyle also went against the team that gave him his first job in the NFL, the New Orleans Saints, in Week 2.
"I've had a lot of full circle moments in the last little while," Doyle said. "This is certainly one of those. I've followed him a long time from afar. I followed him while he was here and kind of studied their offense."
Cam Jurgens Is Taking a Crash Course This Week
Doyle and other coaches have been spending extra time this week with center Cam Jurgens, who hopes to make his Ravens debut against the Browns. After being traded by the Philadelphia Eagles last week, Jurgens has plenty on his plate.
"I think it's probably a much bigger challenge than people understand," Doyle said. "He's got to learn our language, so he can get the five guys up front going in the right direction. There's a lot of extra time spent with him.
"There's no real shortcut to that. We've got to make sure we're putting the time in with him and the coaching staff and try to get him ready to play."
Jurgens was still in a non-contact jersey at Thursday's practice and needs to clear the final hurdle of the concussion protocol to play in Sunday's game.
