Instead of slowly wading into a new offensive system, the Ravens are diving into deep waters quickly.
"We're giving these guys a lot intentionally, really trying to see what they can handle," first-year Offensive Coordinator Declan Doyle said following Tuesday's OTA practice. "It's something that I picked up in my time at previous spots.
"We could kind of take it easy and not stress these guys, and it would be a lot simpler. I think growth happens on the other side of stress, so we need to stress them."
The players are embracing Doyle's bold approach. The Ravens had the NFL's No. 1 offense in 2024, but in 2025 they dropped to 16th in total offense and missed the playoffs. With a talented attack led by Lamar Jackson, Derrick Henry, Zay Flowers and Mark Andrews, the Ravens believe they can have an elite offense again, and they want Doyle to help them get there.
Flowers loves that Doyle is challenging players to learn quickly. Flowers called Doyle a "genius" and he's expecting his players to keep up.
"He has stuff that I've never seen – plays and routes and stuff to help you get open," Flowers said. "He teaches you in a certain way where you remember the plays where there's not too much stress on you. But he gives you a lot, and he talks fast, too. I'm like, 'Hey, Coach, chill, chill.' He is a genius, though. I love it. We've been loving it so far."
At this point during the third week of OTAs, Doyle anticipates bumps in the road as players learn a new system. After intense studying in the classroom, players are taking what they've learned onto the field, but they're still doing a lot of thinking while running plays.
The way Doyle talked about cadence and pre-snap penalties showed his attention to detail. While saying it's an important weapon to have and practice, which will lead to pre-snap fouls this summer, he said that "needs to disappear" and is "unacceptable on any snap" by the time the regular season begins.
When things don't work, Flowers likes the way Doyle makes corrections. He is the NFL's youngest offensive coordinator at age 30, and Flowers believes Doyle's youth helps him connect with players.
"It's easier to relate to him because we can just talk," Flowers said. "We can talk like we are friends and what he expects of me and what he expects of us. Instead of having somebody just demanding something, demanding something; he is going to let you know what he expects of you.
"He has the same mentality as us. He isn't playing, but he is a dawg. You just get that vibe from him. He is ready to dial it up. He wants the offense to be the best offense in the league, and that's how he coaches it."
Defensive Coordinator Anthony Weaver is also impressed by Doyle's acumen, saying that he's "like a human computer." Doyle did not call plays in 2025 as the Chicago Bears' offensive coordinator, but he played an integral role in helping to design an offense under Bears head coach and play caller Ben Johnson that was explosive and complex.
Some of those Johnson's elements will likely be part of Baltimore's attack, but Doyle is adjusting his approach to the Ravens' personnel. Organized Team Activities and next week's mandatory minicamp will provide Doyle with even more ideas before the Ravens begin training camp in July.
"When he starts spitting out offensive information and plays from his past, it's like he has this Rolodex of plays in his head," Weaver said. "He's almost like he has a photographic memory. So, I look forward to all the things that he's going to do with our offense."
As he builds the playbook, Doyle said his thought process is helped greatly by Head Coach Jesse Minter, the team's new defensive play caller. Going against Minter's unit in practice is a challenge that has raised the bar, and Doyle wants the offense to rise to that challenge. So far, he likes what he sees.
"Obviously, from playing against Jesse and then knowing guys from his tree, I have an immense amount of respect for this defense for what they've done," Doyle said. "Iron sharpens iron.
"Our job every day is to be able to bring that same juice and energy and be able to stress them on their side of the ball. Being able to call it and do things like that in an OTA setting, I can't imagine a better way to practice doing it in real time against a better defense. They're the best defense in football, and we're aiming to be the best offense in football."
