There's a lot for Baltimore Ravens fans to be excited about as the 2026 season slowly approaches. Baltimore underwent an offseason of changes that should help the Ravens return to Super Bowl contention. While most of the excitement centers around new head coach Jesse Minter and an improved defense, their offense should also take a step up under new offensive coordinator Declan Doyle.
In my opinion, Todd Monken dodged a lot of criticism last season for what really wasn't a strong year from him. Sure, he dealt with injuries, and the defense was highly problematic, but during his three-year tenure (especially last season), I didn't think his play-calling was nearly creative enough. There were also reports that he and Lamar Jackson didn't have a strong relationship.
How Monken landed a head coaching job (even if it was with the Cleveland Browns) is beyond me, but I digress. The bright side is that Doyle feels primed to rejuvenate the Ravens' offense with some more creative play-calling and a larger emphasis on the passing game.Â
One specific area that Doyle is set to transform is the Ravens' use of play-action. Notably, the Ravens ranked just 29th in play-action usage over the past three years, while the Chicago Bears under Doyle (and Ben Johnson) ranked second last year per Sharp Football Analysis.Â
Undoubtedly, Doyle's focus on the play-action game will help the Ravens avoid some of their past problems of predictable offense.Â
Declan Doyle is primed to give the Baltimore Ravens' offense exactly what they lacked under Todd Monken
Frankly, Monken running some of the least amount of play-action in the league with Lamar and Derrick Henry is baffling. Without a doubt, the predictability of the Ravens' offense hurt the team at times. Thankfully, Doyle will ensure Lamar's skill set is better utilized, which should help the Ravens reach another level.Â
Despite the limitations of Monken's offense, the Ravens still had one of the league's most prolific offensive units. That's mainly an effect of employing Jackson and Henry. Regardless, given how successful the Ravens' offense already was, opposing teams should be scared about the possibility of them leveling up.Â
The Ravens offense is tailor-made for a heavy diet of play-action. Teams are always looking to limit big plays from Henry, which, on fakes, could create openings for the Ravens' receivers.Â
In general, Jackson's arm talent wasn't utilized enough by Monken (they ranked bottom three in passing attempts each season under Monken), and that's something Doyle is ready to change.Â
Doyle has previously mentioned that his offense hunts explosive plays, and leaning into more play-action is a great way to unlock this explosive element.
Amid all of the excitement of the Ravens' transformation under Minter and a much-improved defense, it might be easy to forget the advantages that Doyle will provide offensively. Come September, though, Ravens fans will emphatically see the significance of what Doyle brings to the table, and it might just help the team reach their Super Bowl aspirations.Â
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