New Baltimore Ravens coach promises change that will benefit Lamar Jackson
The Baltimore Ravens will have a new-look offense for the 2023 season that could help Lamar Jackson.
Todd Monken was hired as the Ravens' new offensive coordinator back in February. He will be working with Jackson and the other members of the offense to implement a new strategy and plan going into the new season.
The Ravens will be looking to improve on what happened during the 2022 season. They finished second in the AFC North with a 10-7 record, but lost in the NFL Wild Card round of the Playoffs to the Cincinnati Bengals, failing to score in the first and fourth quarters.
It was announced by Ravens head coach John Harbaugh in February that Monken replaced Greg Roman as their new offensive coordinator. One of the main roles in the job will be working with Jackson and getting the best out of the quarterback, as well as the rest of the offense.
Part of the problem with the Ravens in recent seasons has been an over-reliance on needing Jackson to be at the peak of his powers with his passing game. While he is often one of the best in the NFL in this regard, it’s not a strategy that gets you to the final game of the season on a regular basis.
Joe Burrow backs Patrick Mahomes after Kansas City Chiefs reach Super BowlJackson threw for 2,242 yards last season with a 62.3% passing success rate and with 17 touchdowns. That form saw him rank ninth with a QB rating of 59.1 on .
In a recent interview on the , Monken was asked about how he plans to set up his offense ahead of the new season. His answer indicated that a change is on the way for the Ravens.
“That is the challenge for sure is marrying up what’s been done here in the past in terms of running the football and controlling the game … (with) what I’m used to, which is maybe a little more open sets, a little more space,” said Monken.
Prior to being appointed with the Ravens, Monken had previously had time at Georgia as their quarterback coach and offensive coordinator. He has 34 years of experience in football coaching, and all of that will come in handy when working alongside Jackson during the off-season.
When it was confirmed that Monken had joined the Ravens, coach Harbaugh explained the reasons for bringing him to the M&T Bank Stadium.
"We conducted 21 interviews with 14 candidates throughout a thorough process that had wide-ranging organizational involvement," said Harbaugh. "Todd's leadership and coaching acumen were evident from the beginning.
“He has a proven track record for designing and teaching offensive systems that allow players to succeed at the highest level. We're excited to get to work and begin building an offense that will help us compete for championships."