Each of the last two seasons, Lamar Jackson had his year cut short in December on a play where he held the ball too long, waiting for a receiver to get open.
It’s what he’s had to do in an offense so predicated on the run that free-agent wide receivers declined opportunities to play with a top-five quarterback in the NFL.
That offense was the brainchild of offensive coordinator Greg Roman. In it, Jackson needed to be a superhero for the Baltimore Ravens to win. A lot of times, he was just that. Jackson did a lot of good in Roman’s system. It catapulted him to a unanimous MVP season in 2019.
Ultimately, though, it failed him. And now that burden is being removed.
The Ravens announced Roman’s resignation Thursday and reiterated the franchise’s commitment to Jackson, just as he’s approaching free agency and likely to be franchise-tagged if the sides can’t agree on a deal.
Head coach John Harbaugh said Jackson will be included in the team’s search for a new OC. It all simultaneously puts Jackson in a better position to succeed while also removing any excuses for him not to.
John Harbaugh says Lamar Jackson will be involved in the team's search for a new offensive coordinator. pic.twitter.com/Q0iG9j3SPb
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) January 19, 2023
There was a time when Roman’s offense run by Jackson put fear in opposing defenses. Baltimore ranked first in total offensive DVOA his MVP season — first in both running and passing.
However, despite glimpses of that same dynamic offense over the last three years, things went stale. The Ravens remained one of the league’s very best rushing attacks, but their passing game never finished higher than 16th again.
Jackson deservedly took some blame for that, as did injuries. But Baltimore’s personnel was perhaps the biggest problem, as the team was never able to attract or keep top wide receiver talent. That was directly related to Roman’s offense. Not only was it unable to maximize the players Baltimore did have at receiver, it was the reason the team didn’t have better players at the position in the first place.
As Jackson’s former backup Robert Griffin III said Thursday, running backs and tight ends loved Roman’s system. Wide receivers hated it.
Greg Roman may be of the greatest run game tacticians I have ever been around at the NFL level. RBs and TEs love his system because they EAT. WRs absolutely hate it. That’s why free agent WRs didn’t want to go to or stay in Baltimore. It was never about Lamar Jackson.
— Robert Griffin III (@RGIII) January 19, 2023
As much success as Jackson personally enjoyed with Roman, the system got to a point of holding him back. It was a liability for a team well-constructed everywhere else. At best, it made him one of the league’s most dangerous weapons but limited how much he could show the full range of his abilities. At worst, it got him injured and delayed a deserved big pay day.
Fans knew it, and many are happy to see Roman gone. Jackson should be too, and that may ease his contract negotiations for the Ravens. It also removes any excuses Jackson had in the past for coming up short in big moments.
If he returns, the onus is fully on the quarterback to deliver. Based on what we’ve seen in the past, there should be little doubt he will.
