What New Wrinkles Might Declan Doyle Bring to Ravens' Offense?
With Declan Doyle reportedly being hired as the Ravens' new offensive coordinator, The Baltimore Banner’s Jonas Shaffer looked at what the offense could look like under Doyle.
Shaffer said the fact that the 29-year-old Doyle, who was a first-year offensive coordinator with the Chicago Bears this season, has never called plays before makes him "something of an enigma."
"Under new coach Jesse Minter, he could be anything," Shaffer wrote. "His offensive schemes could be anything. His vision for Jackson could be anything."
However, Shaffer said that Doyle, having worked under Ben Johnson in Chicago and spent five seasons under Sean Payton as an offensive assistant with the New Orleans Saints and Broncos, might offer clues as to how the Ravens could configure their 2026 offense.
Here are some excerpts:
Pre-snap motion
"Johnson's heavy use of presnap motion (60.6% of plays, according to Sharp Football Analysis) amplified the Bears' running game and, in turn, opened opportunities for explosive pass plays downfield. No game better exemplified Johnson's mastery of eye candy than the Bears' Week 13 win over the Philadelphia Eagles. Chicago quarterback Caleb Williams went just 17-for-36 for 154 yards, a touchdown and an interception, but against a good Eagles run defense, the Bears rolled for 281 yards (6 per carry) and two touchdowns. Presnap motion was the engine behind nearly every big run.
"The Ravens weaponized presnap motion creatively and frequently under former coordinators Greg Roman and Todd Monken, but they fell back to the middle of the pack in usage rate (52.1%) in 2025."
Trick plays
"There wasn't much razzle-dazzle on Monken's play sheet in his three seasons in Baltimore. … Johnson and Payton, however, aren't afraid to have fun in the sandbox.
"This year, in the Bears' win over the Cincinnati Bengals, Williams got open on a 'Philly Special'-esque double-reverse pass for a 2-yard score on fourth down. Later, he was the recipient of a double pass, which he turned into a 20-yard gain.
"Jackson, whom some NFL evaluators considered to be a better wide receiver prospect than quarterback prospect when he was coming out of Louisville, has rarely lined up out wide in his pro career. But, if Doyle brings a new level of creativity to the Ravens' playbook, a few trips outside the hash marks might be inevitable."
Colin Cowherd Looks at Whether Ravens' Super Bowl Window Is Still Open
The Ravens have been a perennial Super Bowl contender with Lamar Jackson as their starting quarterback, but is their window still open?
An argument can be made that there was a changing of the guard in the AFC this season, with second-year quarterback Drake Maye leading the New England Patriots to the Super Bowl, and second-year quarterback Bo Nix guiding the Denver Broncos to the No. 1 seed.
As for the AFC's three heavyweights, the Ravens and Kansas City Chiefs had losing records and missed the playoffs, and the Buffalo Bills were eliminated in the divisional round.
Fox Sports’ Colin Cowherd looked specifically at the Ravens and Bills and their respective Super Bowl windows. He believes the Ravens' window has closed, while the Bills' is still open – but only by a crack.
"[Jackson and Bills quarterback Josh Allen] not only have massive cap hits, [but] we just saw Josh Allen in a boot, and Lamar Jackson has been hurt several times, so he's a little bit injury prone," Cowherd said. "So, if I had to bet today, 'Is Lamar Jackson going to get to a Super Bowl?' my bet today would be, 'No, I don't think he will' – and I'm a huge fan."
Cowherd went on to say he believes Allen will get the Bills to a Super Bowl, "but they would be an underdog and I don't think they will win because of his cap hit."
Super Bowl window debates make for good content, but no one has a crystal ball. As for Cowherd's contention that the Ravens' window has closed, that's far from an open and shut case.
Cowherd's points about Jackson's cap hit and injury issues are not without merit, but the Ravens are in prime position to bounce back next season and contend for a Super Bowl.
For starters, while roster turnover is inevitable, the Ravens will still have plenty of talent. They'll also have more salary cap space than in years past, and a new deal with Jackson – which is a priority – will give them even more flexibility to re-sign some of their own free agents and, as General Manager Eric DeCosta said recently, "potentially go after a couple of big-ticket items."
Moreover, the Ravens are projected to have 11 draft picks, including the 14th-overall selection.
John Harbaugh Says He Tried to Talk Monken Out of Taking Browns Job
It was widely believed that Monken would join new Giants Head Coach John Harbaugh in New York as his offensive coordinator, but the Cleveland Browns threw a wrench in that plan when they hired Monken to be their head coach.
Harbaugh talked about losing out on Monken in an interview with NJ Advance Media.
"I tried to talk him out of it," Harbaugh said. "That's my job, right? I really thought he was coming with us, but Cleveland was in there all along and he had been there before in 2019 as the offensive coordinator, so they knew him and he wanted this opportunity. He got it and I'm happy for him. I'm really kind of proud of him, but we've got to go to work."
The Giants and Browns will play each other in 2026.
