The Chargers completely revamped their coaching staff this past offseason, which included the offensive coordinator position. Greg Roman, who spent four years in Baltimore as offensive coordinator, was hired by general manager Joe Hortiz.
Roman resigned from the Ravens after the 2022 season and has always been known as a specialist in the run game. Four games into his tenure with the Chargers, and it’s been a mixed bag of results thus far.
The Chargers have run the ball on 53% of plays, a blueprint of both Roman and Jim Harbaugh. That number would be even higher if they led more in the second half of each of their last two games as well. It’s the fifth-highest rate in the NFL just a month into the season.
Steven Patton ranks all 32 NFL play callers based off several metrics and after four weeks, he has Roman ranked 23rd. Noticeably, he dropped 13 spots after the Chargers’ disappointing Week 4 loss to the Chiefs.
Roman hasn’t exactly dialed up many innovative passing plays, which is likely a large reason for his low ranking. The Chargers rank 31st in the NFL in passing through four weeks, as they average just 136.0 passing yards per game.
The team’s lack of talent on the perimeter is a large reason for those struggles in addition to Justin Herbert’s lingering ankle injury. Still, Roman is responsible for these issues at the end of the day.
It’s been a primary criticism for Roman throughout his coaching career, specifically with Lamar Jackson and that passing offense in Baltimore. The running game has been slowed down in the last two weeks after a hot start to the season.
Herbert’s inability to move very well has certainly limited some of what Roman can do and call. There is still plenty of time for improvement, and it’s still a bit early to determine how good (or bad) of a job Roman is doing.