Greg. Roman.
Nothing gets Baltimore worked up more than those two little words. While the fanbase is largely against the offensive coordinator sticking around, the Baltimore Ravens show no urgency in ousting him out the door. The fans see it one way, the team sees it much differently.
Baltimore fans are conditioned to not like an offensive coordinator. The only offensive coordinator Ravens fans have really ever gotten behind is Gary Kubiak. The rest of them got a very similar treatment to what Roman is receiving right now. It goes past John Harbaugh’s tenure as head coach and into the Brian Billick era. It’s a side effect of a franchise that is used to having legendary defensive units and lackluster offenses.
It’s almost understandable then that Ravens fans are quick to fire criticism at the offensive coordinator. This mindset works when the offense stinks, though right now it doesn’t make much sense. You could argue the years with Roman calling plays have been the Ravens’ most consistent stretch of enjoying a good offense. Before you @ me, let’s look at the stats.
In 2020 the Ravens had a third-down conversion percentage of 47.8. That’s a healthy number by NFL standards and it gets better when you consider how good the Ravens were at fourth-down conversions. In 2019, the Ravens converted 47.06 percent of their third-down attempts. That’s consistency.
In 2019, the Ravens rushed for 5.5 yards per carry as a team. They totaled 3,296 rushing yards, which was good for an NFL record. In 2020, the Ravens stayed right at the 5.5 yards per carry and got to 3,071 yards on the ground.
You’re probably wondering why I left out the 2021 season. Without Gus Edwards, J.K. Dobbins and a functional offensive line, the numbers from last season are hard to go by. The Ravens also spent the back end of the 2021 season without Lamar Jackson under center. Like Roman or not, he has to get a bit of a pass. There was a lot of talent sitting on the sidelines. That being said, the Ravens still put up a team average of 4.8 yards per rushing attempt.
In 2019 the Ravens averaged 33.1 points per game. In 2020 that number only went down to 29.3. In years where injuries don’t entirely decimate the Ravens’ chances, Roman’s numbers justify the support of his employer. His is a consistently well-ranked offense.
Did you know that the Ravens’ offense ranked sixth in yards per game last season? It sounds hard to believe, but it’s true. Before Lamar Jackson was injured he was on pace for numbers that would have been career highs. Considering what the Ravens had to work with, that’s impressive.
Most QB wins before turning 25 since the merger
Lamar Jackson 37
Dan Marino 34
Drew Bledsoe 32 pic.twitter.com/izwQsROcOv— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) June 1, 2022
In 2019, Baltimore had the number two ranked offense. They averaged 407.6 yards per contest. In 2020 the Ravens averaged 363.1 yards per game. That’s the lowest per game average that a Roman offense has produced for the Ravens. That’s not bad. Believe it or not, the Ravens have more figured out offensively than many fans realize.
But this goes beyond numbers. The fact of the matter is that Roman works well for Lamar Jackson. Roman’s offense has played into Jackson’s dual-threat attack. It’s not every offensive coordinator that can make their style work with Lamar Jackson. Lamar Jackson wasn’t going to win the MVP award completing over 100 passes to three tight ends in any other offense.
Jackson gets frustrated when things don’t go well yet he’s shown no push to get another offensive coordinator in Baltimore. The Ravens may consider Roman a Jackson-friendly coordinator. To the organization, Roman is an investment in their all-in on Lamar Jackson approach.
[Another Perspective: Time For a Divorce?]
2019 was easily the most fun regular season Baltimore ever got to enjoy. The Ravens won 14 games and had a winning streak for the ages. A huge part of that was the offense. The brand of offensive football the Ravens unleashed on the NFL was different and innovative. It’s amazing how much fans separate Roman from that success. Nobody can change the fact that Roman called plays for the most explosive offense the franchise has ever had.
Lamar Jackson is magic on the football field and he’s special. That being said fans have to be careful not to give their quarterback all of the credit. Fans also have to be mindful that the blame doesn’t need to go in one basket either. When things don’t go well it’s not all on Roman.
Admittedly, Roman is a very frustrating coordinator. That part I won’t refute or ignore. The experienced play-caller rarely wins hearts and minds with his press conferences. He has a problem with becoming predictable with his tendencies as a play-caller. The man also overcomplicates the red zone like no man you’ve ever seen before. Roman isn’t perfect, and he brings a lot of the heat on himself.
What if Greg Roman was competent https://t.co/isfRK0S1Bf
— TTB (@TTB_Ravens) June 6, 2022
The take-home point here is that there is a huge discrepancy in how fans see Roman and how John Harbaugh and the organization see Roman. The way fans talk you’d think Marc Trestman or Marty Mornhinweg were still employed by the Ravens. Trestman may have been the worst offensive coordinator the Ravens ever had. Roman could never be that problematic.
John Harbaugh is known for being too loyal to his coordinators. That being said, there’s reason for optimism with an offense directed by the 49-year-old Atlantic City native. The Ravens just retooled the offensive line. Why shouldn’t they try to see what happens if they go all-in with Roman? If the Ravens stay mostly healthy like they did in 2019, the offense could be moving toward another monster season. This isn’t being too loyal. This is doubling down on a brand of football that has benefited this team.
You don’t have to like Roman, but you must understand what the Ravens see in him. He’s been coaching since 1995. He’s had many stops in his coaching career and this is his third time being an NFL offensive coordinator. He was the AP NFL Assistant Coach of the Year in 2019. John Harbaugh is a stubborn man by nature. He’d need a lot to be convinced Roman should be gone. He has a lot of things he can point to that back up his offensive coordinator.
There are segments of the Ravens Flock that have practically made disliking Roman their entire personality. Roman is widely unpopular with fans. He’s a regular scapegoat. The Ravens know it, they just don’t care. The organization believes in the direction they are going in. The franchise sees Roman completely differently. Where fans see a deterrent to success, Harbaugh sees a friend and an experienced resource. Many fans see Roman as unimaginative. The organization sees a man who built the blueprint for winning with their franchise quarterback Lamar Jackson.
It’s all about perception, and fortunately, the Ravens aren’t easily swayed by their fans.
