Greg Roman reveals the truth about Lamar Jackson’s injuries

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Lamar Jackson’s injury record was explained by his former offensive coordinator, Greg Roman.

Greg Roman didn’t garner many fans during his tenure as offensive coordinator for the Baltimore Ravens, but the 50-year-old remains a staunch supporter of Lamar Jackson. Notably, Roman has defended the quarterback’s long injury record.

Speaking to Vic Carucci for the 33rd team, Roman described Jackson’s coaching as “exciting and unique.” He also noted that there was some risk associated with Jackson’s penchant for running, but Roman didn’t blame the quarterback’s mobility for his injuries: “Jackson was such a master at dodging hits and honestly he was the safest when he was out in space the move because he was in control as opposed to in the pocket with his eyes down hoping someone doesn’t run into the backs of his legs. The few times he was injured was behind the line of scrimmage to make a throw onto the field.

There’s something about what Roman says since Jackson was injured in week 13 of last season against the Denver Broncos put in the pocketwho could not avoid the hit because he “had his eyes down”.

Jackson is perhaps the most dynamic dual-threat quarterback in the NFL. His hasty threat exposes him to more contact, but Roman claims, “It was never a problem when he ran into space. That’s pretty much at odds with what a lot of people think is true.”

Lamar Jackson has ally for feuding with injury critics

Roman’s words come as a bit of a surprise given Jackson has missed 11 games over the past two seasons. An ankle injury kept him out of the last five contests of 2021, with the Ravens subsequently falling to 0-5 and missing the playoffs.

Things weren’t going much better when a PCL issue put Jackson on the shelf for six games to complete the 2022 campaign. The Ravens made it into the postseason this time but promptly lost in the wild card round to AFC North rivals the Cincinnati Bengals.

Jackson’s playing style is often identified as a primary cause of his lack of durability, though the player himself rails against the narrative. Now he has a welcome ally in the form of his former game caller, who was replaced by Todd Monken this offseason.

Jackson isn’t short of a few choice words for those wanting to focus on his injuries. He took part in Twitter defend his absence At the end of last season while also reminding his critics that he never left the Ravens when he was healthy:

The notion that Jackson could sit out “for money” stems from the ongoing uncertainty surrounding his long-term future with the Ravens. He’s been decked out with the non-exclusive franchise tag, rather with a new and lengthy contract, but the 26-year-old wasn’t shy about expressing his desire for a trade.

If the Ravens allow Jackson to join a new team — something the franchise could sanction in exchange for two first-round draft picks under the terms of the day — he would need to be sure to connect with a coaching staff that’s able , to maximize his special skill set.

Despite his criticism, Roman has succeeded in doing this, at least up to a certain point.

Greg Roman created a successful blueprint for Lamar Jackson

The union between Roman and Jackson yielded immediate dividends during a 2019 season that ended with Baltimore’s QB1 being named NFL MVP. It was just the reward for 3,127 yards and 36 touchdowns through the air to walk for 1,206 yards and seven points on the ground.

These numbers come from a plan created by Roman. His strategy featured a run-heavy scheme defined by read-option concepts and play-action passing that helped Jackson dominate in both phases, per Focus on professional football:

Roman referenced some of the pre-snap things the Ravens did to give Jackson an advantage and keep the defense guessing: “In Baltimore, we weren’t a huge audible system. We did quite a bit of that, but mostly it involved pre-snap motion, shifting, changing the image for defense, and using different tempos.

If it worked and Jackson stayed healthy, the Ravens were an effective scoring machine. The problem was that the system had its drawbacks, especially in the passing game, where there was often insufficient distance between routes.

A lack of elite wide receivers did little to help Jackson and Roman’s cause, but the end result still made for dismal reading. The Ravens averaged just 6.6 yards per attempt and completed just 33 20-yard passes last season, the second fewest in the league, ahead of only the New York Giants.

These numbers are why Todd Monken will be on the headset in 2023. It’s his job to expand offense to show more of Jackson’s potential as a passer.

That’s necessary for Jackson’s development provided he stays to play on the tag, but it can’t come at the expense of the elusive signal caller, who still uses his legs to slice through defenses.

As Roman alluded, moving the bag to get Jackson into space as both a runner and a passer will remain crucial to his health.