Lamar Jackson isn't just learning a new offense this summer. He's learning how to decipher defenses in a new way, too — through the eyes of new head coach Jesse Minter.
Jackson and Minter plan to meet weekly to go through defensive schemes Minter - the former Los Angeles Chargers defensive coordinator who will continue to call plays as Baltimore head coach - knows well, including ones he's spotting elsewhere around the league. The idea is simple: if Minter is seeing it as a defensive play-caller, Jackson should be seeing it too.
Jackson, entering his 9th year as pro, was asked about the arrangement last week at training camp — specifically what it means to have a head coach who's spent years game-planning against him. "That is funny you say that. I did not think about playing against Coach Jesse. That never hit my mind," Jackson said. "But, yes man, we talked about it. He pulled me to the side yesterday, and he was talking about just coming in and meeting with him so I can see defenses the way he calls it — other defenses, too, not just his."
The setup echoes one of the more famous working relationships in NFL history: Tom Brady and Bill Belichick, a defensive-minded head coach, meeting regularly during the Patriots Super Bowl-winning dynasty to walk through defenses together.
Belichick and Brady's standing weekly meeting was documented in NFL Films' "Do Your Job" documentary series among other places. Here's video of one of those meetings, where Belichick and Brady talked through scouting the Ravens' defense and future Hall of Fame safety Ed Reed:
@nfloncbs “Find 20 on every play” on his armband is tough 🔥 #nfl #edreed #tombrady #billbelichick ♬ original sound - NFL on CBS
Minter was asked directly about the decision to start something similar with Jackson, and what he thinks it can do for him. "I just look at ways to impact our offense and impact our players. It is no different than maybe giving Zay [Flowers] some tips going against certain types of press corners," Minter said. "But, I do think being able to look at how we play defense — it is a trendy league, I would say. So, there are a lot of copycats of things that are done well. So, whether it is our defense or helping Lamar look at other people's defenses, I just think from my perspective and studying all that over the last few years, maybe I'm able to give a little bit of insight into how they are trying to make certain things look the same, but maybe what could help him. So again, I'm all in just trying to help Lamar be the best version of himself."
Asked how Jackson reacted to the idea, Minter said it was an easy sell. "Yes, I think it was cool. It was exciting. We already talk a lot on the field, even just about the back and forth of plays and coverages," Minter said. "So, as we really get into specific opponents, I think that will be a good thing we can do each week just to try to maybe give Lamar a little different perspective."
The arrangement also gives Minter a practical way to stay directly involved in offensive game-planning without stepping on new offensive coordinator Declan Doyle's territory. It fits in with Minter's approach to making the leap from defensive coordinator to head coach overseeing the entire team.
"It's certainly a little bit different just from a job description standpoint — what I'm responsible for. I feel like I'm responsible for how the whole team plays," Minter said. "I'm not going to micromanage every scheme in all three phases of the game. You hire people to do a great job. Obviously, I'm going to have more of a focus on one side of the ball, but it's my job to get us to operate the way that we need to operate, to play the way that we need to play, to prepare the way that we need to prepare, and so that part is awesome."
Jackson, for his part, sounds fully bought in. Asked whether the meetings with Minter would become a regular thing, he didn't hesitate. "Yes, absolutely. Absolutely. I think that it's a good idea for me to meet with a defensive-minded coach."