All eyes will be on Lamar Jackson as the 2026 NFL season has begun. With week 1 coming on Sunday, many wonder how Lamar Jackson will look under Declan Doyle’s new scheme.
“After having the NFL’s top-ranked offense in 2024, the Ravens fell to 16th in total offense in 2025, and Jackson dealt with injuries most of the season,” Clifton Brown wrote in a Baltimore Ravens article. “Playing just 13 games, Jackson had his fewest passing yards (2,549), touchdown passes (21), and rushing yards (349) of his career, while tallying his lowest completion percentage (62.3) since 2022.
“Now, many people are wondering if Jackson, a two-time MVP, will have a bounce back season.”
Changes We Can Expect to See From Jackson
Brown laid out how Lamar Jackson has looked slightly different during the offseason regarding his footwork and more snaps under center.
But don’t overlook the new footwork, either.
Under Declan Doyle and QBs coach Israel Woolfork, all the details matter. ⤵️
“I feel like it is helping with the progression,” Jackson said in the Baltimore Ravens article. “I am not hitting my back foot, staying on my back foot too long. I feel like it has helped a lot.”
Offensive Coordinator Declan Doyle and Quarterbacks coach Israel Woolfork want Jackson’s progressions to be a little quicker.
“Jackson started working on his new footwork this spring, and Doyle said it only took the quarterback about a week to feel comfortable,” Brown wrote. “That’s one of the beauties of working with Jackson. He’s such a gifted athlete, he can adjust quickly to what coaches want.”
“In my first conversation with Lamar, we talked about it,” Doyle said in the article. “When I was interviewing on Zoom, it was like, ‘Hey, this is something that I believe in, what do you think?’
“He was like, ‘I am totally open to trying that.’ It was something that came very naturally to him. It took a few days and then it was like, OK, it times out right.”
More Play-Action Plays to Come
According to an ESPN article, one of Doyle’s tactics for the 2026 season will be to call more play-action plays. This involves Lamar Jackson being under center more often.
“New Ravens offensive coordinator Declan Doyle spent time with both Ben Johnson and Sean Payton over the past three seasons, so we will see elements of those systems in his playcalling,” Matt Bowen wrote in the ESPN article. “And the key here is the passing game with Jackson, which will feature more play-action throws.”
The Chicago Bears thrived under Ben Johnson and Declan Doyle. A large part of this was due to their running game. Now, Declan Doyle has Derrick Henry and Lamar Jackson.
In 2024, Henry rushed for 1,921 yards while averaging 5.9 yards per carry. In 2025, he rushed for 1,595 yards while averaging 5.2 yards per carry.
Derrick Henry’s numbers went down a little bit in 2025, but not because of Henry’s ability. The Baltimore Ravens did not feed the star the ball as much as they did in 2024.
When you have a running back that requires so much attention, it usually opens up your play-action scheme. With Doyle bringing this new scheme to Baltimore, we can expect Lamar Jackson to thrive.
Why? Because Caleb Williams did.
“Last season, while Doyle was working with Johnson in Chicago, Caleb Williams attempted 181 play-action passes, the second most in the league,” Bowen wrote.
Ravens’ Lamar Jackson Predicted to Be ‘More Lethal’ in 2026