The 49ers earned their biggest win of the 2013 season on Sunday, yet if you listened to the postgame show on the radio or read any number of fan message boards you probably would have been hard pressed to think that was the case. Instead of celebrating the win, fans were busy complaining about the 49ers offensive coordinator.
The 49ers offense is too conservative and predictable. The 49ers offensive coaches don't have a killer instinct. Greg Roman is holding Kaepernick back. Harbaugh needs to fire Greg Roman. These have become the mantras for much of the fan base in 2013.
My question is simple. Why is Greg Roman so vilified?
Remember this isn't Greg Roman's offense. It's Jim Harbaugh's offense. The offense that the 49ers are running now is the same offense that Jim Harbaugh took with him to Stanford back in 2007. Roman didn't join Harbaugh at Stanford until 2009, and by that time the foundation had already been established by Harbaugh and David Shaw. In 2008, the year prior to Roman joining them, Stanford ran the ball on 63% of it's plays. The following year Roman joined the staff and a promising redshirt freshman took over the controls of the Cardinal offense. You may have heard of him. His name was Andrew Luck and he would go on to be the first player selected in the 2012 draft.
In 2010, Roman's second season under Harbaugh, and with a blossoming Luck at the controls the Cardinal offense opened up quite a bit from what they did in 2008, running the ball on 58% of it's plays.
A lot has been made of Roman's football pedigree. Many point to his prior experience being predominantly with the offensive line, yet in 2011 with the quarterback whom many considered the best in all of college football the Stanford Cardinal now under the control of David Shaw, the passing game coordinator the prior two season, continued to run the ball at a rate of 55% of it's snaps. Why? It's simple, ball control is at the heart of Jim Harbaugh's offensive philosophy for winning football and you do whatever it takes to win the game in front of you, nothing more.
Let's take a look at some of the common complaints that I have heard from the fan base with regard to Roman.
"This type of offense is fine in the regular season, but they will need to score more points to win in the playoffs."
Since Harbaugh and Roman joined the 49ers, they have averaged 31.4 points per game in the post season. This came after the 49ers averaged 24.3 points per game during the regular season over the same time period. That ranked them 11th in the league both seasons. Over the course of the first 13 games of the 2013 season, the 49ers have averaged -- wait for it -- 24.3 points per game and are currently tied for 11th in the league.
"Roman is holding Kaepernick back. Imagine if he had a more dynamic offensive coordinator."
Here's the problem with this. The only way the offense becomes more dynamic is if Jim Harbaugh is no longer the head coach. This is his offense, all the way down to game day when he is the one sending the plays in to the quarterback. It is Harbaugh, not Roman who has the final say in what play is called.
"The offense is just too conservative. They lack a killer instinct."
The Seattle game was the second week in a row in which the offense threw the ball on 65% of its plays until the game situation reached a point that running the ball became the more prudent course of action.
Many were up in arms yesterday when the 49ers decided to run the ball repeatedly to set up a field goal instead of going for a touchdown at the end of the game.
That just a case of playing smart football, and it showed the ultimate killer instinct. By running the ball, the 49ers offense kept the clock spinning and slowly put it's foot down on Seattle's throat, taking away it's life in the football game.
"The 49ers don't throw the ball down the field to try and stretch out the defense."
14.5% of Colin Kaepernick's passes have traveled over 20 yards. That is tied for the fourth highest percentage in the NFL.
"Harbaugh needs to fire Greg Roman."
Sorry to break it to you folks, but that isn't happening any time soon. While you may not care for the job that he is doing/has done, Jim Harbaugh seems to think he is doing just fine. You may recall that in the offseason the 49ers extended Roman's contract out through 2015.
Over the last two seasons the 49ers have returned to prominence winning 70% of their games and reaching the NFC Championship Game along with a Super Bowl. This followed eight straight seasons in which the team won only 36% of its games and never finished above 8-8.
Despite all of the success Greg Roman still appears to be public enemy #1. Why?