Over the Los Angeles Chargers’ last two playoff games, they have scored just one offensive touchdown.
Feeling a change was needed following the team’s latest lopsided postseason loss, the Chargers have fired offensive coordinator Greg Roman, NFL Network Insiders Ian Rapoport, Tom Pelissero and Mike Garafolo reported on Tuesday.
The Chargers also fired offensive line coach Mike Devlin, per Rapoport, Pelissero and Garafolo.
The team later confirmed the news.
Roman, 53, was L.A.’s OC the past two seasons, having joined Jim Harbaugh when he became head coach ahead of the 2024 campaign. It was the second Harbaugh-Roman stint after the two were together with the San Francisco 49ers from 2011-14.
The Chargers offense was 12th in yards this past season, but 20th in points scored.
Roman had to deal with plenty of injuries, notably the season-long absence of standout offensive tackle Rashawn Slater and the subsequent loss of the team’s other starting tackle, Joe Alt. Throughout the season, the Chargers had to shuffle their offensive line due to injuries while also dealing with the season-ending absence of running back Najee Harris and rookie first-rounder Omarion Hampton playing in only nine games due to injuries.
Quarterback Justin Herbert didn’t miss any action, but dealt with a broken non-throwing hand.
Still, critics will point to Roman’s offense being stagnant, failing to adjust and him failing to scheme open wide receivers -- much of the same critiques that followed him during his time with John Harbaugh as the Baltimore Ravens OC from 2019-2022.
To conclude the 2024 season, the Chargers were throttled in the Wild Card Round by the Houston Texans, 32-12. Their only touchdown was a Herbert-to-Ladd McConkey 86-yarder in the fourth quarter with the team trailing, 23-6, prior to the score.
On Sunday in the Bolts’ 16-3 wild-card loss to the New England Patriots, the Chargers recorded an early interception that gave Roman’s offense the ball at the Pats’ 10-yard line. The offense was held scoreless after three runs and an incomplete pass. It was a pivotal early turning point as the Chargers offense went nowhere, converting just one third down on 10 attempts and recording 207 total yards -- the second-fewest in a playoff game in team history.
In other words, the Bolts' offense went out with a whimper and Herbert dropped to 0-3 in playoff games.
After the defeat, Harbaugh was asked if Roman was the right play-caller for the team going forward.
“Right now, I don’t have the answers,” Harbaugh said.
While the upcoming OC search will hopefully deliver the answers, Roman was clearly not it.
Whomever the next Chargers offensive coordinator is, he will be the fifth of Herbert’s career.