Ravens Offensive Coordinator Todd Monken Opens Up About Surprising Early-Season Struggles in 2023
The departure of Greg Roman, the former Offensive Coordinator of the Baltimore Ravens and current Offensive Coordinator of the Los Angeles Chargers, brought a surge of excitement and hope among fans in Baltimore following the team’s loss in the 2023 Wild Card game to the Cincinnati Bengals.
Roman played a significant role in maximizing Lamar Jackson’s performance in the running game, leading to Jackson’s first NFL MVP award. However, there were widespread complaints about the team’s limitations in the passing game and the need for further development of Jackson as a passer.
In response to Roman’s departure, the Ravens hired Todd Monken, the former offensive coordinator for the Cleveland Browns and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Monken, who previously served as the offensive coordinator for the Georgia Bulldogs, brought considerable anticipation as he had contributed to multiple national championships at Georgia and was now set to work with Lamar Jackson, along with players like Mark Andrews and Odell Beckham Jr.
However, the transition under Monken faced some early struggles in Baltimore, with the team failing to score 30 points in a game until a dominant 38-6 victory against the Detroit Lions. In an interview with the podcast “Coaches and the Mouth,” Monken discussed the team’s overreliance on Lamar Jackson and the challenges faced in the red zone.
Coach Harbaugh emphasized the need for improvement, pushing the coaching staff to find solutions. Monken and his team focused on enhancing creativity, adjusting the run-pass ratio, and implementing strategic changes to avoid sole reliance on Jackson. As a result, the Ravens significantly improved their red zone performance, ranking in the top five in scoring touchdowns in the red zone after addressing these issues.
