Offensive coordinator Greg Roman never had a dearth of jobs, thanks to his relationship with the Harbaugh family. But after the Los Angeles Chargers‘ latest 16-3 upset against the New England Patriots, that connection might not come in handy anymore. With an O-line that faltered at every juncture, Roman expected online ridicule. But you really have to do something very wrong if an opponent team’s player also doubles down on the criticism.

The conversation started when former Chargers player Breiden Fehoko urged the front office to take some drastic steps: “Chargers, go ahead and clean that whole house. I’m talking ground zero.” Promptly, Baltimore Ravens veteran Kyle Van Noy responded back.

“That’s too emotional from the feti man himself!” he wrote. “Chargers exceeded expectations after having a BEAT up o-line! A beat up quarterback! A beat up backfield! A legit defense. Do you want better in the playoffs of course!!! But ground up?? That’s crazy talk after losing arguably 2 of your 5ish top players. I’m not a fan of the OC matched up with Herbert because he’s a run game coordinator personally.”

And it’s true. During Sunday’s clash, Roman’s shortcomings were on full display. The Chargers failed to run the ball on the opponent’s defense. In the end, the play-calling was what many called disjointed. For instance, in the first quarter, when Los Angeles took over at New England’s 10-yard line after an interception, the OC called four plays where none of them were handoffs to running backs. Instead, they turned the ball over on downs.

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To put it in numbers, Sunday was Greg Roman’s seventh playoff game as an OC since reaching the Super Bowl in the 2012 season. During those seven games, his teams have averaged just 13.9 points (23, 13, 17, 17, 12, 12, and 3). Expectedly, questions about his future with the team are ripe. After the loss, Harbaugh was asked about the same, which he skillfully dodged by being vague enough.

“I don’t have the answer to that right now,” he said via ESPN’s Kris Rhim. “We’re going to look at that and everything.”

To many, this statement might seem like a chink in the armor. Most because Jim Harbaugh, who lovingly calls his offensive coordinator G-Ro, has always been solid in the latter’s corner.

Harbaugh and Roman’s friendship reportedly began in 2001 when the latter was an O-line assistant for the Panthers and Harbaugh, then 37, joined as a quarterback after the team was dealing with injuries at quarterback.

Then, in 2009, when Harbaugh joined Stanford as a head coach, he hired Roman as a run game coordinator. Roman reportedly got an offer “from a very, very good NFL team with a Hall of Fame coach at the time”. His friendship, though, was much more important.

“I thought about it, and I said, ‘I think I’m gonna go work for Jim’,” the OC said. “That was a great decision.”

The duo then headed to the San Francisco 49ers for a four-year stint. However, when Jim parted ways with the team, Roman joined brother John Harbaugh’s coaching staff with the Baltimore Ravens, serving as the OC from 2019-2022. Resigning from the team in 2023, the offensive coordinator then joined the Chargers next season. In light of this, it’s understandable why it’s going to be a difficult decision for Jim Harbaugh.

But even though he doesn’t have an answer right now, Van Noy has already identified the Chargers’ next OC.

Kyle Van Noy supports OC responsible for Lamar Jackson’s MVP

This year, Greg Roman helped his offense rank 12th in the league, scoring 333.8 yards per game. But since postseason success always carries extra weight, calls for his firing become unavoidable. So, who could replace him? It’s none other than Todd Monken, who’s been serving as the OC for the Ravens since 2023.

“I’d like to see him with more of a Monken-type,” he said. “That’s just me. Hard to have either when you are banged up in the trenches. I’m not making excuses; it’s just from me watching the tape…”

Over his first two seasons with the Baltimore Ravens, Monken transformed the offense into one of the most dangerous units in the NFL. He improved the team’s red zone touchdown efficiency, rushing yards per game, and passer rating during that span. The momentum continued in the 2025 regular season as Lamar Jackson’s group finished second in rushing with 156.6 yards per game. 

Monken brings 37 years of coaching experience, including a decade-long period in the NFL. Currently, he’s being approached by teams looking for offensive leaders. On Saturday, the Cleveland Browns interviewed Monken for their head coaching vacancy following Kevin Stefanski’s firing.

Could Chargers’ big-time coach finally make a big-time decision? Keep your eyes on EssentiallySports to get the latest updates.