Joe Flacco, Offense Must Learn New Terminology

Posted Jan 30, 2014

Garrett DowningBaltimoreRavens.com Staff Writer@Ravens All Garrett Downing Articles



There will be some change from the previous system under the new offensive staff.


Joe Flacco may have some new state names to shout at the line of scrimmage next year.

When new Offensive Coordinator Gary Kubiak and Quarterbacks Coach Rick Dennison install their offensive system in Baltimore, there will be some different terminology for Flacco and the offense to master.

“There will be some carryover with [terminology], and I think there will be some changes,” Head Coach John Harbaugh said Monday. “The changes, in my mind, will be for the better.”

Before announcing Kubiak’s hiring Monday afternoon, he and Harbaugh had already started discussions about how the terminology would change.

“We’ve gotten pretty specific – not down to the last detail – but pretty specific in some areas about what we want to do,” Harbaugh said.



“A system has to work together. You can’t piecemeal a system; you’ve got to build it in a way that makes sense to the guys. One word builds off another word, so it makes sense to the guys, and they can have an organized thought process into their responsibilities.”

Since Harbaugh took over in Baltimore in 2008, the Ravens have primarily used the same offensive system. Former Offensive Coordinator Jim Caldwell kept the system the Ravens ran under Cam Cameron, so there wasn’t an overhaul in the terminology.

This offseason will be the most significant change during Harbaugh’s tenure, and he called the transition a “fresh start” for the offense.

“We want to build a system, so we’re going to build a Ravens’ system that’s best for our guys in terms of their talents, that’s best for our guys in terms of their ability to learn and get things right,” Harbaugh said. “We’ve got to get our assignments right, so let’s build it from the ground up and build it well. That’s what we plan on doing.”

While the style and terminology may look different next season, one definite carryover is at quarterback. Flacco is entrenched as the Ravens franchise quarterback, and the new offensive staff is set on building the system around the former Super Bowl MVP.

“There may be some terminology things here and there … but you definitely build your offense around your quarterback,” Dennison said. “It starts with Joe, and those are conversations that we’ve had going forward. So, we are going to do whatever we can to make Joe the best player he can be, and Joe is pretty fired up about that.”