The future of Greg Roman as the Los Angeles Chargers offensive coordinator is under review following the team's 16-3 playoff loss to the New England Patriots on Sunday night. This defeat marked a continuation of offensive struggles for the Chargers in postseason play.
Postseason Performance
Under coach Jim Harbaugh with Roman as play caller, the Chargers have made the playoffs in two consecutive seasons. Across these two postseason losses—against Houston last season and New England this season—the team scored a total of 15 offensive points. Quarterback Justin Herbert reportedly appeared indecisive during the recent game, and the team's running game did not materialize.
Coaching and Player Statements
When questioned about Roman's future, Coach Jim Harbaugh stated, "Right now, I don’t have the answers. We’re going to look at that, and everything." He reiterated that "Everything on our team" would be examined.
Offensive linemen provided nuanced comments regarding Roman:
- Left guard Zion Johnson mentioned Roman has "a lot of creativity in his play calling" and that "it’s been good."
- Center Bradley Bozeman, who has played for Roman previously, stated Roman "always tries to put us in the best situations that he can" and that "it’s not all on one person." When asked directly about Roman continuing as coordinator, Bozeman deferred to management, saying, "That’s their call upstairs."
- Right guard Mekhi Becton described his experience playing for Roman this season as "different."
Game Strategy and Execution
The Chargers entered the Patriots game with the intention to run the ball effectively. Despite this, Roman called only one run play out of six on the opening drive. On a subsequent drive starting from the New England 10-yard line, three of the four plays called were passes, with no handoffs to running backs, leading to a turnover on downs. The team finished with a 26.7 percent rushing success rate.
Observations from the game indicated:
- In the second half, the Chargers' pass protection struggled, with Herbert reportedly pressured on nearly 66 percent of his dropbacks.
- In the first half, protection was more functional, but Herbert did not consistently locate open receivers and appeared tentative.
- Roman's scheme and route concepts were noted for not consistently providing Herbert with easy completions or viable safety valves. Tight end Tucker Fisk, primarily a blocker, was used as a check down option on multiple occasions.
Patriots linebacker Robert Spillane reportedly told reporters that some Chargers players indicated they "had no clue" what the Patriots' defense was doing.
Quarterback's Situation
Justin Herbert is in his sixth NFL season and has not secured a playoff win in three appearances. He has worked with four offensive coordinators, with a fifth potentially coming next season. Herbert expressed uncertainty about achieving his first playoff win, stating, "I don’t know. I haven’t figured it out yet."
Edge rusher Khalil Mack commented on Herbert, describing him as having "the heart of a champion, man, a grinder, a warrior. Special, man." Mack expressed hope for Herbert to be "placed in a position to succeed at a very high level," implying the organization needs to do more to facilitate this.
The Chargers organization is expected to focus on placing Herbert in a position to succeed, including evaluating protection and developing a modern schematic system.