In the newest episode of “The Xs and Os with Greg Cosell and Doug Farrar,” Greg (of NFL Films and ESPN’s NFL Matchup), and Doug (of Touchdown Wire) get into the details of the Baltimore Ravens’ offense under new offensive coordinator Todd Monken. Gone will be the compressed formations of the Greg Roman era — Monken, who spent the last three seasons as Georgia’s offensive coordinator after a long stint in the NFL, talked at his introductory press conference in February about what he learned from creating high-level collegiate offenses.
“I think the game has changed,” Monken said. “The game has become more of a space game; using all 53-and-a-third yards and using the width and depth of the field, using space players and your skill players. I think that’s changed. Years ago, maybe it was inside-zone and run duo downhill. Now, it’s utilizing athletic quarterbacks. The game has changed; it’s changing. At one time, it was taller pocket passers, and now you’re seeing more shorter, athletic players. The game has changed in terms of using their athleticism, using players’ athleticisms, what they bring to the table because the game is about space. It’s about being explosive. Well, how do you create explosives? Well, part of it is creating space.
“So, that’s probably the biggest thing is, ‘How do you find a way to incorporate that into your offense?’ I think also being no-huddle, some tempo [and] what that provides because [in the college game] we were all no-huddle. It’s a little bit different then because of the dynamics of a signal system, and then the [radio communication] green dot to the quarterback. So, you have to work through some of that. That will take some working through, but it’s a speed bump, not a hurdle.”
Here, Greg and Doug discuss how Monken will jump those hurdles.
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