Greg Roman helped craft a league-best rushing offense with the Buffalo Bills in 2015 and later built another effective ground attack with the Baltimore Ravens around quarterback Lamar Jackson, but now is out of a job and defending the unique offensive system he helped to create.
Roman announced in an article for The 33rd Team that he was not planning to return to the NFL next season after he resigned as offensive coordinator of the Ravens following the team’s January playoff loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. The former Ravens offensive coordinator also sounded off on Jackson and the run-heavy scheme he created.
Greg Roman Reflects on Working With Lamar Jackson
Though the Ravens found success under his run-heavy scheme, Roman drew criticism for not developing a strong pass component to take advantage of Jackson’s mobility and arm strength. The Ravens also slowed this season after Jackson went down with a knee injury in Week 13, with Baltimore averaging just 13.6 points over their final six games, including the playoff loss.
Roman defended his approach and appeared to push back against critics who said the run-heavy style put Jackson at risk. Roman wrote that Jackson was actually safer when he was running in the open field and more susceptible to injury while in the pocket.
“Jackson was such a master of avoiding hits, and honestly, he was safest when he was out in space on the move because he was in control as opposed to in the pocket with his eyes downfield, hoping somebody doesn’t run into the back of his legs,” he wrote. “The few times he got injured were behind the line of scrimmage, looking to make a throw down the field.”
Roman also spoke about the innovation in putting together the offense in Baltimore, saying it was a scheme he created from scratch.
“Coaching Jackson was exciting and unique,” he wrote. “A lot of creative thought went into it – different, original thoughts. You’re not just copying what somebody else is doing. In Baltimore, we weren’t a huge audible system. We did some of it, but we were mostly about pre-snap motions, shifting, changing the picture for the defense and utilizing various tempos. Putting it all together to where you have answers without doing a lot of checking and audibling was a big part of what we did.”
The Patriots will not be pursuing Lamar Jackson, although he has interest in the team, per @jeffphowe
While Roman is gone from the team, Jackson is also in limbo with the Ravens, having publicly asked for a trade after a contract impasse.
Greg Roman Recalls Time in Buffalo
Roman served as the offensive coordinator in Buffalo from 2015 to 2016, and in his first season crafted a league-best rushing attack around quarterback Tyrod Taylor and running back LeSean McCoy.
Roman, who also spent four years as offensive coordinator of the San Franciso 49ers before coming to Buffalo, recalled his time working with those teams and the offensive system he created.
“I’ve been around some athletic quarterbacks, starting with Andrew Luck at Stanford, Alex Smith and Colin Kaepernick with the San Francisco 49ers, and Tyrod Taylor with the Buffalo Bills,” Roman wrote for The 33rd Team. “I built this system that was continually evolving. With all those years of experience with dual-threat quarterbacks, it evolved and evolved.”
Greg Roman is taking the 2023 season off from coaching after four years as Ravens offensive coordinator.
Roman said he will “have a hand” in high school football and a college program as well.
“I’m going to try to stay pretty busy,” he said.
Roman told The 33rd Team that he wanted to stay in football and would work at the high school and college levels.
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Ex-Bills Coach Greg Roman Sounds Off on Ravens Over Lamar Jackson