Losing Isaiah Likely to a foot injury and subsequent surgery hasn’t just robbed the Baltimore Ravens of a breakout talent, it’s also set to prompt changes in the way offensive coordinator Todd Monken schemes and calls plays.
That’s according to NFL Films senior producer Greg Cosell. He told the Ross Tucker Football Podcast how Likely’s “a very big part ’cause they play a lot of 12 personnel (one running back, two tight ends), they play a lot of 22 personnel (two running backs, two tight ends) because the fact is they like playing with a fullback.”
Cosell’s reference to Monken’s fondness for two-tight end sets and having bruising blocker Patrick Ricard in the backfield is significant. As he explained, “when Ricard’s on the field, they’re playing with four eligible receivers, ’cause Ricard’s not a receiver. So it’s a really interesting offense in today’s NFL.”
All-Pro Ricard not being much of a receiving threat only increases the importance of roving pass-catcher Likely. He’s a viable weapon even from run-heavy looks.
Cosell detailed why “Likely’s a big part of what they do. And again, I didn’t see all the medicals on it, but you’re right, it sounds like he’s not gonna be back for Week 1, we’ll see how long that goes. The question is, ‘is that going to change their personnel package?’ And if it changes your personnel package, it changes the way Todd Monken calls a game.”
Those changes will show up when the Ravens try to adjust to life without Likely: “There’s a whole difference between how you approach what you call out of 12 personnel, and what you call in 11 personnel with three wide receivers on the field. That’s what I will be anxious to see once the season starts.”
Although Cosell has pinpointed why Likely will be missed, adding a third wide receiver to the formation isn’t the only way for Monken to adjust. Not when there is a complete tight end ready to take Likely’s place.
Isaiah Likely Crucial to Ravens X’s and O’s.
Likely has quietly become a key cog in how the Ravens build their formations and manufacture big plays. Specifically, he made multiple-tight end packages a “superpower” for the league’s most productive offense in 2024.
Leaning into “12” and “22” sets made sense when Likely was healthy because of his natural versatility. He’s essentially a wide receiver in a tight end’s body, a lean 6-foot-4, 247-pounder who can flex into the slot, split out wide or align in the backfield, so he constantly changed the pre-snap looks and dictated coverage matchups, despite the Ravens staying in a run-first set.
Likely made the point about the flexibility of these sets when he told reporters in January 2024 how “Going from one tight end sets, to two tight end sets, and still having Pat out there to go into three tight end sets, it creates the havoc of, ‘How do we stop that?,” per Ravens.com Editorial Director Ryan Mink.
Monken continued this trend in earnest at the start of last season. Numbers from Nathan Jahnke of Pro Football Focus reveal how often the Ravens put two tight ends onto the field, with Likely playing 93 snaps, all 70 out of “12” personnel and 23 out of “22” groupings.
Replacing the unpredictability his reliance on Likely has created will be a challenge for Monken, but the OC has options.
Todd Monken Can Keep Ravens’ Signature Offense Intact
The simplest way for Monken to offset Likely’s absence would be to use the same formation, but with Charlie Kolar replacing No. 80. Kolar is not as dynamic as his fellow tight end, but he does have some big-play potential of his own.
That showed up during a scrimmage with the Indianapolis Colts on Tuesday, August 5, when Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic noted how the “Ravens offense has been at its best when Lamar Jackson has been targeting Andrews and Kolar. They’ve made most of the team’s big plays today.”
If Monken wants to a way to riff with the two-tight end formula, he could move five-time Pro Bowl wideout DeAndre Hopkins inside more often. The 33-year-old is physical enough from the slot to merit comparison with Likely.
Alternatively, Monken can put Ricard, who’s also a tight end, back into a familiar position. Then the Ravens could add a new face to the backfield alongside two-time NFL rushing champion Derrick Henry.
Combining Henry’s brute force with the breakaway speed of Keaton Mitchell more often would create a thunder and lightning combination few defenses would be able to decipher and stop.
Keeping teams guessing by deploying personnel in creative ways is Monken’s remit, and he can still maintain it even without a skill player as valuable as Likely.
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