Mink: Just because Declan Doyle is a young, creative offensive architect doesn't mean he's pass-happy. That's a misconception.
Last season, Dolye's Bears were one of the more balanced teams in the NFL. They passed 54.64% of the time and ran on 45.46% of their plays. They ranked higher on rushing percentage (No. 11) than passing percentage (22nd).
The Bears had the No. 3 rushing attack in the league, one spot behind the Ravens with 144.5 yards per game. So don't think a Doyle-led offense is going to abandon the run. Anything but. Offensive creativity and top-notch scheme come both in the passing and running game.
With that said, it wouldn't surprise me if the Ravens throw the ball more than they have in recent years. "Balance" in today's NFL often means throwing the ball more than running it. Last season, the Ravens were the only team in the NFL that ran the ball more often than they passed it. The Seahawks were a 50/50 split.
It wouldn't surprise me if Baltimore's passing percentage ticks up somewhat as Lamar Jackson continues to rely on his arm more than his legs, but I don't think it's going to be a major change.
When you have Derrick Henry and Jackson in the backfield, you're going to run the ball. It's part of Jesse Minter's vision for his offense and for Jackson. When describing what he wants his team's football identity to be, the first word out of Minter's mouth was "physical."
"You want to build an offense that allows him to be Lamar but also at the same time utilizes all the weapons that the offense has," Minter said. "You don't want him to have to be Superman every time the ball is snapped."
Brown: It's important to remember that Minter has already been part of the Ravens' culture, having spent four seasons (2017-20) on the defensive staff. At his opening press conference, Minter said he would, "Take the foundation in place and build on it, make it better, put my own spin on it and not try to be John Harbaugh, not try to be Jim Harbaugh, be myself."
Minter's already doing that. Doyle is the NFL's youngest offensive coordinator. New Pass Game Coordinator/Secondary Coach Mike Mickens is making the jump to the NFL after six seasons at Notre Dame. However, Minter has also reportedly hired veteran coaches like Defensive Coordinator Anthony Weaver, a former Ravens player and coach, and Senior Offensive Assistant Joe Lombardi.
I think Minter is building a nice mix of fresh ideas and experienced leaders. John Harbaugh spent 18 seasons in Baltimore and changes are inevitable. But Minter isn't focused on overhauling the previous culture. He's focused on winning championships and building a staff that helps him accomplish that goal. I think that's the right approach.
Mink: The same question is being asked about Doyle considering he was the offensive coordinator and Ben Johnson was the offensive play-caller in Chicago. Bears tight end Cole Kmet spoke about Doyle's huge impact last season.
"Even though Declan doesn't call the plays for us, the amount of work he did on the offensive side of the offense was immense and you could see that in the day-to-day in practice," Kmet said.
Kmet went on to say Doyle was "particularly instrumental in scripting practices during the week and prepping the game plan. Kmet said Doyle was also tasked with making halftime adjustments, which paid off considering the Bears were one of the NFL's best second-half teams offensively.
I thought this answer from former offensive coordinator Todd Haley was also insightful about what goes into the week of a coordinator who doesn't call plays:
We don't know exactly what Weaver's role would be under Minter. They will surely speak to that. But it will certainly be a significant role responsible for the creation of the game plan, making sure players know their responsibilities and are ready to execute at a high level, and more.
It's very clear that Minter wants collaboration throughout the coaching staff and with players, and Weaver will be at the forefront of that.
Brown: Doyle may answer that question whenever he addresses the media in Baltimore for the first time.
Minter and Doyle will do whatever they decide works best. When Doyle was in Chicago, he was in the booth on gamedays with Bears Pass Game Coordinator Press Taylor, while head coach Ben Johnson called plays from the sideline.
Former Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken called plays from the booth, as did his predecessor Greg Roman.
Both offensive coordinators in this year's Super Bowl, Josh McDaniels (Patriots) and Klint Kubiak (Seahawks) are sideline play-callers. It can be done successfully either way, but some play-callers prefer being on the sideline to have face-to-face communication with the players.
