Marc Trestman: What to expect from Baltimore Ravens OC
Dec 21, 2014; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bears head coach Marc Trestman runs off the field after being defeated by the Detroit Lions 20-14 at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports
You like shotgun? You like spread offenses? You’ll love Marc Trestman, the Baltimore Ravens new hire at offensive coordinator. But if you like more traditional Ravens football, pounding the rock and imposing will, then Trestman’s offense will be a tough pill to swallow.
With the Chicago Bears, Trestman ran a TON of shotgun snaps. Accordingly, the few times the Bears did go under center were almost exclusively running plays. There was not much in the way of unpredictability there, though the Bears did occasionally run play action from under center.
In the passing game, Trestman’s preferred routes play right into Joe Flacco‘s hands. Though an average at best quarterback in the short passing game, Flacco is among the league’s best quarterbacks at throwing intermediate routes, defined as 10-19 yards downfield. Trestman loves to run intermediate level routes, including deep outs and ins, posts and curls.
Trestman is also more willing than Gary Kubiak was to throw the ball deep. The Ravens will need to find a couple of deep targets for this to be an effective tactic, but Flacco should enjoy the opportunity to throw the deep ball more often.
In sum, expect even more fireworks from the passing game. In both of his years with Chicago, Bears quarterbacks combined for over 4,000 yards, and he never had a quarterback as talented as Joe Flacco there (though he did have one of the best tandems of receivers in the game).
There are legitimate questions about Trestman’s ability to maintain a quality running game. Matt Forte had an excellent year in Trestman’s first year at the helm, running for 1,339 yards on a 4.6 yard average.
The Bears followed that up, though, by running for just 90.1 yards per game as a team in 2014. Playing from behind played a role in this, but their run-pass ratio (609 pass to 355 runs) was unacceptable by Ravens standards.
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Even in 2013, a historically bad rushing year, the Ravens ran 423 times. They increased that total to 448 runs in 2014. Joe Flacco has proven he can’t carry the offense without a ground game, so Trestman will need to find a way to keep defenses honest.
That said, Trestman is a great mind who can adapt to the players around him. After one of the best offensive season’s in franchise history, John Harbaugh was not going to bring on a coach who would radically change the scheme.
Trestman has occasionally used the zone running scheme in the past. Though it has never been a linchpin of his offense, keeping Juan Castillo in the fold should help him and the Ravens continue to use that scheme effectively.
That, paired with Trestman’s past, should bode well for whoever lines up at running back in Baltimore next season. Justin Forsett should be easy enough to retain, assuming the Ravens want to, and he would be a great fit for what Trestman likes to do with running backs: use them in the passing game.
Under Trestman’s watch, Derek Loville caught 87 balls out of the backfield for the 1995 San Francisco 49ers, Charlie Garner caught 91 with the 2002 Oakland Raiders and Matt Forte set a league record with 102 catches out of the backfield in 2014.
Forsett is a competent receiver, catching 44 balls this season, and would thrive in this role. He also pass blocks exceedingly well, something Trestman often asks his running backs to do.
One other Trestman staple: He brings on offensive linemen as blocking tight ends frequently. The Ravens did this a couple of times with Jah Reid and Gino Gradkowski, but expect to see more of it with Trestman at the helm. Who will fill that role remains to be seen, though John Urschel is the best of the bunch.
I have doubts about how Marc Trestman’s offense will fit with the talent currently in Baltimore, but there is no questioning his credentials. He’s a great mind with a ton of experience, and more importantly, he was the best guy left on the market. So despite my trepidation, he is a good hire. Whether or not that will mean a good offense in Baltimore is a question that won’t be answered until September 13.