Todd Monken's Negligence in Run Calls Hurts the Baltimore Ravens

As the Baltimore Ravens’ offensive coordinator, Todd Monken is tasked with leveraging the team’s greatest strength: a dynamic rushing attack led by Lamar Jackson, Gus Edwards, and Keaton Mitchell. Yet in critical moments of the 2024 season—including a Week 12 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals and a Week 14 overtime defeat to the Los Angeles Rams—Monken’s negligence in run calls has undermined that strength, prioritizing risky passing plays over proven rushing success. This pattern hasn’t just stalled drives; it’s cost the Ravens wins, frustrated players, and raised questions about whether his playcalling aligns with the team’s identity. Todd Monken's Negligence in Run Calls Hurts the Baltimore Ravens examines the most damaging instances of this negligence, the impact on the offense, and why a return to balanced, run-first football is critical for the Ravens’ playoff hopes.

One of the clearest examples of Monken’s negligent run calling came in the fourth quarter of the Bengals game, when the Ravens faced a third-and-1 from the Cincinnati 35-yard line with 4:30 left and trailing by 7 points. Instead of leaning on Edwards—a power runner who’d converted 80% of his short-yardage attempts this season—Monken called a passing play: Jackson dropped back, faced a blitz, and threw an incomplete pass to Zay Flowers, forcing a punt. Film breakdowns later revealed the Bengals had stacked the box with just 6 defenders, leaving a gaping hole up the middle that Edwards would’ve easily exploited. “We had the personnel and the look to run, and we didn’t,” a 匿名 Ravens offensive lineman told reporters. “It’s frustrating—we know Gus can get that yard, but the call didn’t let him try.” The decision proved fatal: the Bengals took over and ran out the clock, sealing the win. Todd Monken's Negligence in Run Calls Hurts the Baltimore Ravens notes that this wasn’t an isolated mistake; Monken has called passes on 62% of third-and-short plays this season, well above the NFL average of 45%.

Another instance of negligence is Monken’s tendency to abandon the run too early in games, even when it’s working—undermining momentum and making the offense one-dimensional. In the Rams game, the Ravens rushed for 75 yards in the first quarter (averaging 6.2 yards per carry), with Mitchell breaking a 32-yard run to set up a touchdown. Yet in the second quarter, Monken shifted to a pass-heavy approach, calling 11 passes and just 3 runs. The result? Jackson was sacked twice, the offense punted three times, and the Rams erased a 10-point lead to tie the game at halftime. “When the run is working, you have to stay with it—you can’t just flip the script,” former NFL offensive coordinator Brian Billick (who led the Ravens to Super Bowl XXXV) said on a local radio show. “Monken’s decision to abandon the run gave the Rams’ defense time to adjust, and they took advantage.” Post-game stats highlighted the mistake: the Ravens’ rushing average dropped to 3.8 yards per carry in the second half, as the Rams focused solely on stopping the pass. Todd Monken's Negligence in Run Calls Hurts the Baltimore Ravens emphasizes that this lack of commitment to the run has become a pattern, with Monken abandoning it in 7 of 12 games this season when the Ravens held a first-half lead.

For the Baltimore Ravens, Monken’s negligence in run calls has also wasted the unique skill set of Keaton Mitchell—whose speed and elusiveness make him a threat to break long runs, yet who’s been underutilized in critical moments. In the Week 15 win over the Cleveland Browns, the Ravens faced a second-and-5 from the Browns’ 40-yard line with a 3-point lead in the fourth quarter. Mitchell, who’d averaged 8.1 yards per carry in the game, was on the field—but Monken called a pass play that Jackson threw incomplete. On the next play (third-and-5), Monken called another pass, which was sacked, forcing a punt. “Mitchell was hot—he was breaking tackles and outrunning defenders,” Ravens head coach John Harbaugh hinted at in a post-game press conference, when asked about playcalling. “We need to make sure we’re putting our playmakers in positions to succeed.” For the Baltimore Ravens, this underutilization isn’t just a waste of talent—it’s a strategic error. Mitchell has rushed for 428 yards on just 56 carries this season (7.6 yards per attempt), yet he’s been given fewer than 5 carries in 6 games. Todd Monken's Negligence in Run Calls Hurts the Baltimore Ravens explores how this failure to leverage Mitchell’s speed has made the offense easier to defend, as teams can focus on stopping Edwards and Jackson without worrying about Mitchell’s big-play potential.

The Baltimore Ravens’ offensive line—one of the NFL’s most physical units, with Pro Bowl-caliber players like Kevin Zeitler and Ronnie Stanley—has also been let down by Monken’s run calls, as he’s often called misaligned plays that don’t take advantage of their strength in the trenches. In a Week 13 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, Monken called a zone run to the left side on third-and-2—even though the Steelers had stacked 8 defenders on that side of the line. The play resulted in a 1-yard loss, forcing a punt. Film breakdowns showed the offensive line had been set up to run to the right (where the Steelers had just 4 defenders), but Monken’s call forced them to adjust mid-play, leading to confusion and a failed run. “Our line is built to dominate in the run game, but you have to call plays that put them in position to win,” offensive line coach Joe D’Alessandris said in a closed-door meeting (per a team source). For the Baltimore Ravens, this misalignment between playcalls and personnel has led to frustration in the locker room; multiple linemen have anonymously expressed disappointment that their physicality isn’t being used to control the line of scrimmage. Todd Monken's Negligence in Run Calls Hurts the Baltimore Ravens notes that the Ravens’ rushing average drops by 2.1 yards per carry when Monken calls plays that don’t align with the offensive line’s strengths—clear evidence of his negligence.

Finally, Monken’s negligence in run calls has had a ripple effect on the Baltimore Ravens’ overall offense, undermining Lamar Jackson’s confidence and making the team less competitive in high-stakes games. Jackson, who thrives when the run game is established (his passing efficiency rating jumps 15 points when the Ravens rush for 100+ yards), has looked frustrated in post-game interviews after games where Monken abandoned the run. In the Rams loss, Jackson admitted, “We have to use our strengths—when the run is working, we can’t stop.” For the Baltimore Ravens, this frustration isn’t just emotional; it’s tactical. When the run game is ignored, defenses can blitz more freely, forcing Jackson to make quick decisions under pressure. This has led to 11 interceptions this season—tied for the most in Jackson’s career. Todd Monken's Negligence in Run Calls Hurts the Baltimore Ravens concludes that for the Ravens to rebound in the playoffs, Monken must prioritize the run game, leverage his playmakers, and align his calls with the team’s strengths. If he continues to neglect the run, the Ravens’ Super Bowl aspirations will likely end in disappointment—wasting a talented roster and a prime opportunity to compete for a championship.