Yes. We have an identity. It's called KISS (keep it simple, stupid). We're going to keep you off balance with play calling and were going to take advantage of Watson's strengths instead of trying to fit him into some rigid system that relies too heavily on progressions and complicated route trees.
Stefanski's "drop-back, read the field from left-to-right, timing is everything" b.s. was never going to work with Watson. He dropped back and stood there in analysis paralysis. Now things are built on spacing. WRs are given a framework, not a strict route tree.
It seems to me, the new approach with Watson is almost a narrow, quick-hit, see it and execute type of scheme with nothing that makes him stand back there and think.
And since we're letting Watson be himself, "act two" of each play is building a week-by-week rapport with WRs... they know what to do when they see Watson break script and move in the pocket. THAT is priceless. THAT is what made Big Ben and that offense deadly for so long. THAT is (surprise, surprise) what made the Ravens' offense terrifying at times.
Monken took things down to the studs when he arrived. I know it's easy to ignore the evidence because of terrible consistency... or your valid fact that sometimes it seems like it "stinks" for three quarters; but this is the most "identity" we've had since Baker looked like fQB in 2020.
And we're expanding on it weekly.
The luxury of healthy RBs paid great dividends this week. This opens so much of the playbook that has been closed to injury and inconsistent OL play.
Something else I noticed: The first time I clapped and said "good job"; by the third or fourth I said, "hmmm, is this by design?" I won't reframe every long pass, but most were well over the WRs head. One that wasn't was actually a perfect throw that should have been a TD.
Seems like it's been beat into Watson's head to not look for "hero" plays on deep balls. There is a simple two box flowchart. 1) if something is there, take it. 2) if not, throw that ball away. The act of keeping the defense honest is actually more important than finding that diamond in the rough.
This whole thing could all go up in flames. We're used to it. We expect it.
You know what else could happen? This could continue on the same trajectory as Watson gets more comfortable (yesterday's game was the absolute best we've seen in that regard) and as the young pups (second youngest offense in football) get more and more acclimated. When the "21s" and "22s" cross the line from wondering if they belong to imposing their will and athleticism with an expectation that they can win every snap?
