While the Baltimore Ravens deal with possibly being without Zay Flowers for another week, offensive coordinator Declan Doyle didn’t get blamed by Derrick Henry for a key third-and-one decision. But Doyle had a snarky response to a question about Henry after copping to the Week 2 screw-up against the Saints.
Doyle went full-sarcasm mode, according to a post on X by Josh Tolentino.
“I am very aware that Derrick Henry is on our roster,” Doyle said. “I love Derrick.”
Doyle eschewed the use of Henry on a key fourth-quarter play in a tie game. And the Ravens eventually lost, 24-17.
Ravens OC Declan Doyle said the plan didn’t work
The easy call would have been to give the ball to Henry. He averaged over four yards per carry in the game. But Doyle had a different plan.
“Any time a play doesn’t work, it falls squarely on the play-caller,” Doyle said. “We felt like we had a pretty good beat on what they would do in a situation like that. We felt like we were going to be able to attack one-high zone and push the ball down the field. Obviously, after it doesn’t convert, I wish I had called any other play on my sheet. That is life in the business.”
But that wasn’t the only mistake Doyle made, according to Sports Illustrated.
“Rookie offensive coordinator Declan Doyle was lauded with “genius” accolades from his players this offseason,” Jason La Canfora wrote. “But there was always going to be a learning curve for a 30-year-old who had never called plays before. And the first time things got real, and adversity hit this offense, Doyle’s inexperience enveloped him.”
The Ravens can’t afford to make the same mistakes against the Cowboys in Week 3. They must be able to match the Cowboys’ offensive output, which is almost a guaranteed 30-spot. Any missed play-call chances that lead to a change of possession could spell doom for the Ravens. And that would put head coach Jesse Minter and Declan off to a very shaky 1-2 start in what is expected to be a playoff season.