Sean McVay’s appearance on “The Daily Flock Show” opened a window into the way modern offenses are being judged, and one of the numbers he brought up deserves a closer look: explosive-play differential.
McVay said the conversation around EPA often circles back to that same issue, and he pointed to the value of limiting big gains on defense while creating them on offense.
“Everybody wants to talk about EPA,” McVay noted. “That’s a big thing that reflected in these EPAs - is your explosive play margin. Being able to prevent it defensively.
“And I think when you do those types of things, and you’ve got explosive playmakers, you know, the (Ravens receiver) Zay Flowers of the world, obviously Lamar’s always been incredible with his playmaking ability … Those opportunities to be aggressive on early downs, especially with the change in field position, the uptick in going for it on fourth down usually when teams are in the plus-50 or higher, it does change the way that you can be a little bit more aggressive. And I think teams have leaned into it.”
That lens matters for the Ravens, especially as rookie head coach Jesse Minter and rookie offensive coordinator Declan Doyle settle into their roles. Minter comes from a coaching tree that has not exactly been eager to gamble on fourth down, with Mike Macdonald, John Harbaugh and Jim Harbaugh all having a clear fondness for punts. Doyle, though, has spent time around more aggressive voices in Sean Payton and Ben Johnson.
That background could matter a lot for Baltimore’s offense, particularly when it comes to getting Flowers into favorable situations. With McVay and Johnson both leaning heavily on motion, the expectation is that Doyle will push for more of it too, especially to create matchups for Flowers, who does not have the prototypical size to consistently win outside.
Last season, the Bears used motion 61% of the time, good for seventh in the league, while McVay’s offense used it 63% of the time, fourth overall. The Ravens were at 52%, which ranked 18th.
The bigger picture is easy to see in the numbers on 20-plus-yard plays created and allowed. Baltimore’s offense still produced 68 such gains, which was enough to rank in the top 10, even though that was down from 85 in 2024, when the Ravens led the NFL.
The problem was what happened on the other side of the ball. The defense gave up too many chunk plays, and that dragged the overall picture down.
Baltimore finished at minus-8 in explosive-play differential, going 68-76, which put the Ravens in the bottom 10. The Jets were worse at minus-32, and the Browns sat at minus-16. One team with a negative mark, the Texans at minus-1, still made the postseason.
Minter has made explosive-play prevention a major part of his defensive overhaul, and it is already central to how he sees the game. Even so, the Ravens still have a long way to go before they get anywhere near the level of Seattle under Minter’s mentor or McVay’s Rams.
In Other News...
Ravens Fans Finally Got A Crucial Nnamdi Madubuike Update
The Ravens have spent the spring and summer treating Nnamdi Madubuikes status like one of the most sensitive topics on the roster, and for good reason. He is the kind of defensive player whose presence changes how the front plays, and Baltimores hopes in 2026 are tied closely to whether he can get back on the field and stay there.
Team officials have been careful not to say too much, which has only added to the anticipation around any real progress update. Eric DeCosta has offered little beyond cautious optimism, while Jesse Minter has at least acknowledged that Madubuike is moving in the right direction, leaving Ravens fans with the one thing they have wanted most: a sign that the path back is still open. [Read more 🡒]
Ravens Fans Have Seen This John Harbaugh Story Before
John Harbaughs first months with the Giants have not exactly come with the clean slate plenty of coaches hope for. A widely shared offseason speech video drew immediate negative attention, and the reaction has already shifted the conversation around him from optimism about a fresh start to questions about how hell handle the pressure that comes with a new job in New York.
Former Raven and Giant Chris Canty added to the noise by publicly taking aim at Harbaughs leadership, while the criticism has also revived an old talking point about the coachs history in close games. For Baltimore fans, it is a familiar kind of storyline around Harbaugh, and the real test now is whether the Giants can make the 2026 season look more like a reset than a repeat. [Read more 🡒]
Former Ravens Lineman Jordan Devey Dies At Just 38
Jordan Devey, a seven-year NFL veteran offensive guard who once came through Baltimore as an undrafted free agent in 2013, has died at 38, according to a social media post from his wife. Devey never played an official snap for the Ravens, but his path through the league carried him on to several teams, including the New England Patriots, and he later settled into life after football by volunteering as a youth coach in Eagle, Idaho.
The news lands especially hard for anyone who followed his rise from the margins of the roster to a longer NFL career, including the run that ended with a Super Bowl ring in New England. For Ravens fans, Devey is another reminder of how many players pass through Baltimore on their way to the next chapter, and how quickly those chapters can close for someone who was still so young. [Read more 🡒]