Ravens Coordinators Discuss Play-Calling Dynamic for 2026 Season

The Baltimore Ravens' top two assistant coaches chimed in about how they'll handle or contribute and set up their respective sides of the ball for success.

Aug 22, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Baltimore Ravens head coach Jesse Minter looks on during the second half against the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The preseason serves as a practice run for coaches and players alike in the NFL where they finally get a chance for some trial and error to see what operations will look like on game day when the regular season gets underway.

While Jesse Minter won't be the first head coach in Baltimore Ravens franchise history to call plays during their tenure, he is the first ever to do so on the defensive side of the ball. Ted Marchibroda served as head coach and the de facto offensive coordinator from 1996-98, and Brian Billick took over offensive play-calling duties midway through the 2006 season and continued to handle them in 2007 before getting fired.

After working his way up the ranks, Minter is regarded as one of the sharpest defensive minds in the modern game, which made him the most sought-after candidate this past coaching cycle. When the Ravens hired him over former player-turned-coach Anthony Weaver to replace John Harbaugh, it was initially believed that the ship had sailed for the organization and former second-round pick in 2002 would reunite for a second time.

However, Minter was somehow able to convince Weaver to come aboard anyway after he was passed over for other head coaching vacancies. Some veteran coaches might see being hired as defensive coordinator in name only and not being the primary play-caller as a potential slight and a demotion more than a lateral move.

But for Weaver, who spent the last two seasons calling plays for the Miami Dolphins, the transition has "been pretty smooth" and more about collaboration than who gets final say or all the credit.

"It's been pretty smooth," Weaver said. "Jess and I, there's a beautiful yin yang of football knowledge. He's been a back-seven guy by trade. I've been a front-end guy by trade, and we've both called it, so we have big picture views.

"On game day, I primarily focus on the front end first. He primarily focuses on the back end first, and we come together and see what we think. It's been pretty awesome. I love the working relationship every day."

New OC feels comfortable with a bird's eye view during games

May 10, 2025; Lake Forest, IL, USA; Chicago Bears offensive coordinator Declan Doyle answers questions after rookie minicamp at Halas Hall. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Although Weaver won't be the primary play designer and caller on defense this year, his offensive counterpart on the coaching staff, offensive coordinator Declan Doyle, will handle both duties for the first time in his career after serving in the role in name only with the Chicago Bears in 2025.

Coming into the preseason, Doyle planned to spend time calling plays from both the sidelines and the coaches' booth to see which felt the best and was the most functional from an operational standpoint. However, after spending the first two exhibition games in the booth, he feels like that's where he belongs and can best fulfill his duties.

"I had the Philly experience up there; it felt like it was really clean and it went really well," Doyle said about the preseason home opener against the Philadelphia Eagles. "What I was kind of looking for was the communication between myself and the coaching staff, the communication with the quarterback, especially."

The 30-year-old's first experience calling plays from the booth went so well that he wanted to get more time on task against the Minnesota Vikings on the road the following week instead of continuing with the other side of the experiment.

"My gut was basically like, 'Hey, stay up here and let us roll,' because we do not have enough reps left as a coaching staff to be able to go through the dress rehearsal and hit the practice of it. So, Minnesota was good because they are a little bit unique in the challenges that they bring, and your ability to adjust to that defense kind of as the game goes.

"They do some things from a personnel standpoint that change the way you call the game, and so I really wanted to be able to practice that as a staff where I am putting something on the field, I am getting information from them, and then I am calling the game accordingly."

One of the biggest reasons he feels comfortable in just being the man in two-time MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson's ear, relaying plays during games, and doesn't feel the need to be next to him on the sideline is the presence of quarterbacks coach Israel Woolfork and the direct line of communication they established over the past two weeks.

"I really have a lot of faith in 'Izzy', our quarterbacks coach down on the field," Doyle said. "What I found was it was really pretty simple to be able to communicate to him, to the quarterback, what the quarterback was feeling back to me."

Doyle also solicited the advice of some other coaches who have found themselves in similar positions in the past, specifically mentioning first-year Buffalo Bills head coach Joe Brady, who was promoted from his post as a play-caller this offseason and was given helpful feedback.

"The advice that they gave basically was, 'Go where you feel comfortable being able to communicate to the staff [and] being able to solve problems in a clean and efficient manner.' So, that is really what I wanted," Doyle said.