Marc Trestman Vows That He Really Will Run The Football In Baltimore
(CBS) A season after his Chicago Bears were the second-most pass-happy team in the NFL, new Ravens offensive coordinator Marc Trestman has made a vow.
He really is going to run the football this year in Baltimore. Seriously -- because he's got a horse in Justin Forsett.
"There's no doubt the strength of this football team, or one of them offensively, is the offensive line and a back that runs the ball," Trestman told the team's website.
"It starts with the running game. Ravens football starts with the running game. That doesn't mean you're not going to throw the ball, but the emphasis here is we want to be a great running football team. We have the players to do that, so that's where we start."
With Trestman as coach as calling the plays last season, the Bears threw nearly 65 percent of the time, according to teamrankings.com. Chicago's Matt Forte had 102 receptions, an NFL record for running backs in a single season. Last week at training camp, he admitted it wasn't really a mark he wanted to hold.
"We threw the ball a whole lot last year," Forte said. "Obviously, catching 100 balls is not my goal as a running back."
For his part, Trestman believes his reputation as a pass-happy play-caller is a misconception. Supporting that belief, of course, is that the Bears' futile defense in 2014 often had them playing from behind.
"That's kind of an overblown perception," Trestman said. "Statistically it shows that, but when you have the players to do the things you do best, you do them."