After the season-ending loss to the Patriots in the AFC Championship Game, Sean Payton and his staff went to work on a familiar problem: why the running game wasn’t holding up well enough when the offense was under center.
That’s not a small detail in Payton’s world. It’s a core belief, one he’s drilled into his assistants for years, and it has carried straight into Ravens rookie offensive coordinator Declan Doyle.
Doyle spent the 2025 season in Chicago under Ben Johnson, and that was another education in the same direction. The Bears, like Payton’s groups, leaned under center more than almost anyone else in the league.
The numbers and the film tell the same story. Doyle and Johnson were among the coaches most committed to under-center execution, and they took a quarterback in Caleb Williams who had been shotgun-exclusive and got him working under center constantly. That matters in Baltimore because Lamar Jackson has spent more time in the shotgun or pistol than any quarterback in the NFL since becoming a full-season starter in 2019.
Payton recently talked through that philosophy on “The Daily Flock Show,” and he made it clear that the under-center piece is not going away. He said, “I’m a little bit of a traditionalist in a few ways,” and then added, “and yet I’m never not wanting to look at new thoughts and ideas. So, um, man you get a guy like Bo Nix who has a vast databank of RPO (run-pass options) offense in the run, and we’re going to do that.
“But there is a portion of what we want to do under center - both in the run game, play action passing game, and also with a fullback sometimes - now that fullback can be a tight end or a traditional fullback. But I do think you’re kind of seeing it trending back a little bit …
“So, yes, I think Declan will have a portion of that. And I know it won’t be strange to see Lamar doing a great job with the boots and nakeds and the play action, because we’ve seen him in that role. It’ll be more about what we do when we’re under center.”
That vision should feel natural to Derrick Henry, who was under center more than any back in the NFL during his time in Tennessee. Baltimore was already moving in this direction under Todd Monken, blending more under-center run and pass ideas into the offense.
Now that approach is set to grow into a bigger part of the identity. And it may do more than help the run game. Under-center play-action can create time downfield, open up receivers, and give the passing game a different kind of stress on early downs, not just in third-and-long situations.
In Other News...
Jesse Minter Could Be Hiding The Ravens Next Secondary Surprise
Jesse Minters arrival in Baltimore has already shifted the conversation around the secondary, because his defensive background tends to put a premium on corners who can handle multiple jobs. One name drawing attention is Keyon Martin, whose fit in Minters system has made him a legitimate breakout candidate for 2026, according to ESPN analyst Ben Solak.
Martins path is especially interesting because the Ravens have veteran options in the mix, including Chidobe Awuzie, who logged a steady role in his first season with the team. If Martin keeps building on the promise he showed in limited work last year, Baltimore could soon have a tougher decision on its hands about how the cornerback rotation should be ordered. [Read more 🡒]
Sean Payton Sees One Reason Ravens Gamble Could Actually Work
Declan Doyle arrives in Baltimore with the kind of background that naturally invites comparison, even if the Ravens are trying to avoid turning him into a carbon copy of Sean Payton. The 29-year-old rookie offensive coordinator comes from Paytons coaching tree, and that lineage has not exactly been a factory for polished play callers, but Payton pointed to one thing young assistants often get wrong: they chase the mentors personality instead of carrying over the habits that matter.
For the Ravens, the more relevant test is how Doyle fits in with a locker room that has already shown a willingness to respond to him. After working through Greg Roman and Todd Monken in recent years, Baltimore players have reportedly taken to Doyles leadership, and Lamar Jackson has already embraced him even after being pushed on the practice field. The bigger question now is whether Doyle can keep that early trust while making the offense his own. [Read more 🡒]
Ravens Still Face One Big Lamar Jackson Question This Offseason
A new coaching staff usually brings a fresh offensive identity, and Baltimores version appears headed toward a more aggressive passing approach under coordinator Declan Doyle. That matters for Lamar Jackson, because the Ravens have long been at their best when the offense can create pressure in the air as well as on the ground, and the hope is that a more explosive passing game can help unlock another level for the quarterback and the unit around him.
The catch is that the supporting cast still looks unfinished in a few important spots, especially up front and at receiver, where the depth chart beyond Zay Flowers remains a real question. Baltimore can still do enough in the regular season to keep stacking wins, but the bigger issue is whether these unresolved offensive concerns will hold up when the games tighten and the stakes rise in January. [Read more 🡒]