Declan Doyle’s first game running an offense for Baltimore looked like the kind of debut that gets people talking fast.
The former Bears offensive coordinator, now with the Ravens, helped spark a first-half explosion against the Indianapolis Colts on the road. Baltimore piled up 28 points before halftime, and that total could have been even higher if not for a failed fourth-down try from the three-yard line. Jackson finished with more than 235 total yards through the air and on the ground, along with two touchdowns, while Derrick Henry added two more scores and moved into third place on the all-time rushing touchdowns list.
For a coach who is only 30 and has spent just two seasons doing anything beyond offensive assistant work, that kind of start matters. Baltimore took a swing by giving a first-time NFL play-caller a bigger role, and early on, that gamble looks awfully smart. Doyle has had a chance to learn under Ben Johnson, one of the league’s most inventive offensive minds, and the early evidence suggests he absorbed plenty.
That’s part of what makes Doyle’s rise worth watching in Chicago, too. Johnson’s influence appears to travel well.
If the Bears’ former coordinator can take the same core ideas that helped Chicago’s offense hum last year - a more vertical passing game and more pre-snap misdirection - and turn them loose in Baltimore, the Ravens may have found something real. And if Lamar gets back to MVP form, Doyle may not be sticking around as a mere assistant for long.
Johnson, meanwhile, has opened 2026 on the right foot as well, at least on offense. With Press Taylor now in place after Doyle’s departure, the Bears posted 31 first-half points on the road against a Carolina Panthers team that made the playoffs last year, and Caleb Williams accounted for three touchdowns.
The tricky part, of course, is figuring out how much credit a coordinator like Doyle really deserves when he isn’t the one calling the plays. Is he shaping the operation from the inside, helping the play-caller find the right wrinkles?
Or is he just along for the ride? That question is always hanging over fast-moving offenses like these.
In Other News...
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One sequence on social media became the flash point, with a Bears blitz against Bryce Young drawing attention after the defender appeared to ease up before reaching the quarterback. It was the sort of clip that can travel fast and linger even faster, and now Chicagos defense is already dealing with the conversation that follows a game in which 96 points were scored and the questions can easily outlast the win. [Read more 🡒]
Bears Offense Just Backed Up Ben Johnson's Boldest Promise
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For a coach who has already talked about building the highest-scoring offense of all time, this was the kind of first impression that carries real weight. The Bears and Panthers combined for 96 points, the highest-scoring opener on record, and while one game does not define a season, it did offer a sharp early reminder that Johnsons ambitions are not just talk. The question now is how long Chicago can keep that pace when defenses start adjusting. [Read more 🡒]
Bears Already Face A Week 1 Secondary Problem Against Carolina
The Bears got through the final Week 1 injury report with one clear bit of good news: Rome Odunze is active for Carolina. But the bigger personnel note on defense is that safety Xavier Woods will not play because of a groin injury, leaving Chicago to shuffle its secondary before the season opener even gets rolling.
With Woods sidelined, the Bears may have to lean on rookie defensive backs sooner than expected and piece together a back end that was already going to be tested early. Chicago also listed Miller Moss, Tyson Bagent, Jamree Kromah, Jordan McFadden, Ozzy Trapilo and Jayden Loving inactive, so the first game of the season is already bringing a little more lineup uncertainty than the staff probably wanted. [Read more 🡒]