Declan Doyle Was Apparently Hired For A Vital, Unmentioned Reason
Ben Johnson heard through his connections that Declan Doyle was somebody he’d want on his coaching staff. The Denver Broncos tight ends coach was already earning a reputation for intelligence, creativity, and relentless work ethic. The Chicago Bears need more guys like that in the building if they’re going to finally get this offense off the ground. However, Nick Kosmider of The Athletic, who covers the Broncos, believes there might be a specific reason Johnson wanted to bring Doyle in. He explained on Hoge & Jahns.
It stems from the young coach’s extensive experience working under head coach Sean Payton. One of his great strengths, which hasn’t been mentioned enough over the year, is his knack for teaching quarterbacks to avoid unnecessary sacks. Bo Nix was only sacked 24 times this season despite being a rookie. Part of that was good protection, but a huge part was strong discipline to avoid exposing himself to extra opportunities.
Declan Doyle could be a vital learning tool for Caleb Williams.
Nobody can forget the Bears’ rookie absorbed a staggering 67 sacks this year. Yes, a big part of that was talent and coaching issues on the offensive line. Even so, Williams has to accept his share of the blame. He had a bad tendency to hold the ball too long, inviting pass rushers to get second and third chances to put him on the ground. Declan Doyle learned from Payton what steps to take to help teach those tendencies out of a young quarterback.
Yes, Williams has incredible gifts for improvising and making plays on the fly. The issue is there’s a fine line with how often you can get away with that in the NFL. Doyle and Johnson are responsible for teaching him where that line is. If Williams is going to take the next step toward stardom, he must learn to protect himself and keep the offense out of bad down-and-distance situations.