Getty John Harbaugh and the Ravens may lose a trusted assistant to college football.
John Harbaugh has almost become part of the furniture with the Baltimore Ravens. He’s been in situ as the head coach since 2008 and in that time has generally stayed loyal to his assistants.
Even when there’s been turnover it’s usually been among the staff on offense. The Ravens’ success on defense, a franchise staple for years, helped coordinators like Rex Ryan and Chuck Pagano get top jobs.
By contrast, Harbaugh has tended to cycle through offensive coordinators in search of the right formula on that side of the ball. Things have been different with Greg Roman, who has called plays since 2019 and enjoyed two stints on Harbaugh’s staff, with the second beginning in 2017.
Roman has his critics, but you won’t find many of them connected with Stanford football. The Cardinal is looking for a new head coach after David Shaw resigned, and Roman has already been touted as a leading candidate after the success he enjoyed with John’s younger brother Jim Harbaugh from 2009 to 2010.
Ravens Assistant Familiar with Pac-12
Shaw called it quits on Sunday, November 27, following a 35-26 defeat to BYU that ended the Cardinal’s season. He’d been in charge for 12 years, ever since Harbaugh left the collegiate ranks and took Roman with him to help rebuild the San Francisco 49ers in 2011.
The partnership continued to be a fruitful one as the 49ers reached three NFC Championship Games and Super Bowl XLVII, where they were beaten by the Ravens after the 2012 season.
Roman’s ability to replicate the success he enjoyed in Palo Alto and the Bay Area has convinced Bruce Feldman of The Athletic he should return to Stanford.
“Roman only spent two seasons with the Cardinal but was a big part of Harbaugh elevating that program into a power. The 50-year-old from New Jersey went with Harbaugh to the NFL, where they turned the San Francisco 49ers around and made it to the Super Bowl. The idea of Roman, with perhaps Vic Fangio coming back too as his defensive coordinator, might sound really good to old Stanford folks. Roman knows what it took and takes to get Stanford going, but does he want to be a college coach again?”
That last question is pertinent since Roman isn’t always the most appreciated OC in the pros, despite his track record at multiple levels of the game. He built his reputation after being named tight ends and offensive tackles coach for Stanford in 2009.
The recommendation may have come from John Harbaugh, who had hired Roman as an assistant O-line coach in 2006. While at Stanford, Roman designed an offense that inspired success for Stanford while Harbaugh the younger was running the show.
Running was the key word, as the Cardinals became synonymous with putting six and seven linemen on the field and running power plays behind overloaded fronts. Roman expanded the blueprint by designing his calls around pistol-based, option looks, according to Sam Schwartzstein of Prime Video Sports Analytics:
#TNFDeepDive
Like all great stories this one starts with an internet search of “Top Rushing Offenses”
That’s what Stanford Coordinator Greg Roman looked up in 2009 to find Nevada’s Pistol Offense
13 years later Lamar Jackson runs the evolved version to perfection
The formula helped the 49ers reach a Super Bowl behind the dual-threat brilliance of Colin Kaepernick. It also helped Ravens’ franchise QB Lamar Jackson be named NFL MVP in 2019.
Roman’s way has had success, but it’s not for everybody.
Roman’s Offense a Source of Frustration
Roman’s throwback system also landed him a coordinator’s gig with the Buffalo Bills under Ryan in 2015 and 2016. His well-traveled path through the pros proves there’s no shortage of admirers for Roman’s play-calling from within the game, particularly for the way he designs running plays.
Former NFL defensive back Darius Butler broke down two of the Ravens’ best power-running concepts this season for NFL Matchup on ESPN:
#RavensFlock vs #duuuval this week. Kenyan Drake has stepped up for Baltimore’s run-heavy offense this year. @DariusJButler breaks down two run-concepts from the Ravens offense that have resulted in explosive runs by Drake.
Plays like this are why the Ravens remain among the league’s most-effective offenses on the ground, despite injuries to a variety of running backs, including J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards.
It’s a different story in the passing game, though, where Roman’s concepts are frequently criticized. Dropped passes, choosing players like fullback Patrick Ricard as primary targets and missed throws were all problems during Week 12’s 28-27 defeat to the Jacksonville Jaguars, per WBAL-TV’s Pete Gilbert:
Coming out of the bye week, #Ravens offense truly confounding. Very slow getting plays in to Jackson and Lamar relaying to team, delay of game in red zone, drop TD Robinson, 4th & 1 whiff, missed deep shot again. Screen to Ricard?? Then the D got sleepy in 2nd Q. Rough
Jackson’s accuracy, or lack thereof, has become a problem. It’s borne of several factors, including a lack of elite wide receivers among his supporting cast.
There’s also the issue of spacing between routes in the pass plays drawn up by Roman. It’s something he had to address last December, per Ryan Mink of Ravens.com: “Sometimes, it can happen where you’re really trying to clear a guy out and bring a guy underneath as a form of a shield. So, sometimes, that may be the case. Sometimes, guys are in the wrong spot.”
Whoever’s primarily to blame, personnel and scheme are negatively impacting Jackson’s performances as a passer. As ESPN’s Jamison Hensley detailed by citing ESPN Stats&Info, Jackson had trouble connecting with open receivers against the Jags:
Lamar Jackson is 9-of-17 for 88 yards in the first half.
He had 5 off-target throws in the first half, tied for his most in a half this season, per @ESPNStatsInfo.
Roman’s offense has generated just three touchdowns in two games against the Jaguars and Carolina Panthers. It’s a far-from-impressive tally against struggling opposition.
More than a few may be happy to see Roman return to Stanford, but the 50-year-old’s offense has mostly rewarded the Ravens for playing to their strengths. Roman must use the rest of this season to prove his system hasn’t reached its limit and is now stalling Jackson’s development during a contract year.
If so, Roman won’t be getting a top job anywhere.