‘It’s going to be different’ — Robert Saleh explains how Brian Daboll is the Titans’ zig while the rest of the NFL zags

Saleh’s choice of offensive coordinator had to do with more than just liking Brian Daboll.

Easton Freeze — Tennessee Titans Beat Writer
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I had a conversation with somebody inside the Tennessee Titans’ building about their search for a new head coach about a month ago, just before the interview process got rolling. We were talking about the critical element of getting Cam Ward’s offense right, no matter who the hire ended up being. And this person said, wondering aloud, that they personally loved the ever-popular Shanahan West Coast (WC) offense; but they weren’t sure it’s the kind of offense that would best maximize Ward’s playstyle.

It was presented casually as merely one person’s opinion, but it stuck with me. It planted this seed in my head, as someone who was sticking to their prediction of Robert Saleh eventually winning the job. What would he do if he’s the guy, I thought to myself.

Today, he is the guy. And he’s made a decision by bringing in Brian Daboll as his OC that seems to match perfectly with this idea that maximizing Cam Ward means making a bit of a zig while the rest of the NFL zags.

Robert Saleh explains the plan for Cam Ward’s new offense

Coach Saleh’s introductory press conference was on Thursday, and he was asked about his big-ticket acquisition at OC. He expressed excitement over the former New York head coaches teaming up in 2026, and laid out Daboll’s role. “It’s no different than kind of the way Kyle (Shanahan) handled me as a defensive coordinator” Saleh explained. “There’s full autonomy with regards to game planning and putting together the playbook and the scheme that’s best for this group of players.”

As expected, Daboll will be a ‘head coach’ of sorts over the offensive side of the ball. He will call the plays, and he will install his own playbook. Daboll runs an offense with Erhardt-Perkins (EP) roots, distinctly different from the Shanahan offense Saleh was around for so long in San Francisco. Saleh spoke to this point in his presser when asked about scheme, explicitly painting this as a deliberate choice to be different.

“Kyle Shanahan is one of the biggest, best offensive minds in all of football, period” Saleh said of his former boss. “And if you look at the NFL landscape right now, his offense and his influence is all over the league. Probably, I would argue 80 to almost 90 percent of the league. And so Dabs (Brian Daboll) is going to be different. So from a game-planning standpoint—and I’m just speaking for myself as a defensive coach— you’re going through, it just looks like every offense is the same. But when you play the Tennessee Titans, it’s going to be different. And so there is a level of game planning that’s going to have to change within a week.”

Both EP and WC offense have been around for decades. The most popular modern take on WC is what Shanahan has mastered and spread across the league, as Saleh accurately explained. It’s influence is everywhere. It’s a system that uses wide-zone running to set up the pass, with a heavy emphasis on play-action. Timing, efficiency, and creating ideal matchups are the focus. Think of the kind of player Brock Purdy is. His strengths and tendencies exemplify this offensive system.

Now think of the kind of player Cam Ward is. Purdy and Ward aren’t all that similar. While Purdy wins with timing and accuracy, Ward’s tendency is to do more creating and extend plays. The Titans know this.

I don’t know for a fact just how much Cam’s profile played a role in Tennessee’s offensive decision making. But it sure seems to me that it played a big one. I found it interesting when Saleh was hired and logical connections like Mike LaFleur or Klay Kubiak (WC guys) seemed to be quickly off the table in the Titans’ OC search. Daboll (EP) was the top target. And the reported backup options were off the Shanahan beaten path as well: Kliff Kingsbury runs a spread offense with Air Raid foundations adapted from his time in college, and Arthur Smith operates in a run-first, play-action WC variant that emphasizes a more smashmouth approach with heavy personnel groupings. These coaches run two of the more unique offenses in the league.

So what is Erhardt-Perkins anyways? It’s a system whose modern iteration was popularized by the Patriots. Brian Daboll cut his teeth in the NFL under Bill Belichick from 2000-2006. This offense is rooted in a “run to win, pass to score” mantra. Ball control, physicality, and simplicity are focuses. Adaptability is a big part of this philosophy too, relying on QBs who can make quick diagnoses both pre- and post-snap while being in sync with their receivers.

At every step of the Cam Ward NFL experience, his ability to quickly and naturally see the field has been praised and emphasized. I get the impression the Titans are working to lean into his mind, his playmaking magic, and his connection with his teammates in year two. And choosing Brian Daboll instead of sticking with the offensive roots Robert Saleh has spent the most time around seems to be a big part of that.

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