He’s doing things differently for the first time “since youth football,” and Lamar Jackson has dropped an emphatic verdict about how he’s handling the key changes the Baltimore Ravens are making on offense.
The biggest change involves new offensive coordinator Declan Doyle putting two-time NFL MVP Jackson under center more often. It’s a significant shift for a dual-threat quarterback who has been used to operating from deeper in the backfield since entering the pros in 2018.
How Jackson masters an under-center system is the key to the Ravens’ season, so Doyle and new head coach Jesse Minter will welcome his honest take on the scheme.
Speaking at training camp, Jackson admitted, “I am extremely comfortable with it. In youth football I was under center – I haven’t been consistently under center since youth football. We did it here and there in the past, but with this balanced type of offense, I feel like it will help us out a lot – identifying the defense, really keeping the defense on their toes,” per a transcript from the team (h/t Pro Football Talk’s Josh Alper).
It’s early days, but those words are just what the Ravens want to hear, because the scale of the adjustment Jackson is making can’t be understated.
Lamar Jackson Making All the Right Noises About New Offense
He hasn’t had long taking snaps direct from center, but Jackson is making all the right noises about his comfort level with the change. The lack of apparent growing pains is surprising since, as The Baltimore Banner’s Jonas Shaffer pointed out, more than 80 percent of passes were thrown from the ‘pistol’ or ‘shotgun’ in 2025.
Being detached from the line of scrimmage was supposed to make it easier for Jackson to disguise run-pass intent. Unfortunately, the opposite has happened, with the overload of read-option plays becoming predictable.
GettyJackson has been taking snaps removed from center almost exclusively since his youth days.
Mixing things up is the priority for Doyle. He explained how “more than anything, it’s the play-action element. Being able to turn your back to the defense and simulate the run for a longer period time allows things down the field. The longer you’re in that fake, the longer it looks like run, and all the plays that come off that scheme. As opposed to you being in the pistol or the gun, when the mesh happens much faster and the defense sees what’s happening quicker. You’re just buying time, more than anything,” per Ravens.com Staff Writer Clifton Brown.
The clarity of Doyle’s vision is one reason why he’s already earned Jackson’s trust. Their rapport will be crucial to Jackson gaining a new lease of life entering a pivotal season under the weight of a looming decision about a potentially market-resetting new contract.
Jackson will need to elevate his game to new heights to leverage talks and make the decision one the Ravens can’t avoid. Fortunately, the early signs at camp have been positive for both sides.
Ravens’ New Offense Is Already Working
A picture perfect example of what Doyle wants from his offense occurred at camp on Saturday, August 1. The rep involved Jackson executing a play-action fake, before turning and firing a pass to wide receiver Rashod Bateman streaking across the middle.
Watch the live stream of the practice here: t.co/7u7WN323dN
Pre-snap motion, a fake handoff, and Jackson turning to throw from the pocket. This is just what the Ravens are supposed to look like on offense this year.
The changes aren’t solely designed to hide what Jackson will do with the ball. Doyle is making adjustments to inspire a quicker, more versatile and efficient passing game as part of a balanced attack.
It’s good news not only for Jackson, but also for two-time NFL rushing champion Derrick Henry. He’s the other elite playmaker at Doyle’s disposal, and Henry will benefit from the Chicago Bears posting “the league’s third-most rushing yards (2,456 yards) behind the Buffalo Bills (2,714) and Ravens (2,662) in 2025. The Bears and Ravens were two of just five teams with at least 500 rushing attempts last season” when Doyle was OC, according to Brown.
Quicker exchanges between Jackson and Henry will force defenses to make rapid decisions about who will have the ball. It should mean more big plays for the two core members of Baltimore’s revamped offense.
Ravens QB Lamar Jackson Reveals Biggest Change ‘Since Youth Football’