Whenever Lamar Jackson becomes the subject of offensive philosophy in the Baltimore Ravens, debate is almost guaranteed to follow. That is exactly what happened after the newly hired Ravens OC, Declan Doyle, shared recent remarks about how he views Lamar Jackson’s role moving forward.
While Doyle is expected to bring a strong, unique offensive plan centered on Jackson, his latest comments have already drawn heavy scrutiny from Ravens Nation.
Declan Doyle’s Vision for Lamar Jackson Is Already Raising Questions in Baltimore
While evaluating Jackson’s style of play, Doyle centered his comments on the unique problems he creates for opposing defenses rather than pointing out any perceived limitations.
“The challenge with him for a defense is that they have to defend two plays on every play,” Doyle said a few days ago, which later erupted with mixed reactions. “They have to defend the first play that we call … and then they have to defend the second element, which is him creating on his own.” Per multiple sources, the OC did not criticize Jackson.
But after coach Doyle’s comments on Jackson, Skip Bayless reacted to it with some sharp words. “That was a pretty ba**sy quote to say that,” Bayless, who appeared on Underdog’s ‘The Arena: Gridiron’, said.
“Declan Doyle, in his first-ever big press conference that he’s ever had in his whole life, said he had critiqued all of Lamar’s game film from last year, having never called a play in the National Football League about a guy who could have been a three-time MVP.” Bayless lastly added, “This guy’s coming in with guns, firing man.”
On Feb. 19, Bayless also broke the silence on Doyle’s comments on Jackson in his first press conference. “The new Ravens OC, a 29-year-old who has never called an NFL play, just criticized Lamar Jackson’s after-snap decision-making last season … while urging him to be at OTAs (he wasn’t last yr) as Balt wants Lamar to restructure to create cap. This will not go well.”
However, if we look closer, Doyle has a detailed plan for the OTAs and the offseason, which has impressed the former Ravens’ star Marcus Spears. During his appearance on the NFL on ESPN last week, Doyle indicated that the expectation is for Jackson to be present and actively involved as the team works toward its larger championship goals.
He emphasized that if the Ravens are serious about competing for a title, maintaining championship standards and aligning actions with those expectations must start with full commitment from key leaders like Jackson.
At this point, Doyle’s primary focus is on getting the Ravens fully prepared for the toughest challenges that begin in the second week of September 2026.
