SANTA CLARA – Thursday, the Santa Rosa Press Democrat learned the 49ers divvy up the offensive game planning. Today, I asked Jim Harbaugh if they divvy up the play calling, too.
ME: Does Greg Roman call all of the offensive plays during the game, or does John Morton call the pass plays, and Geep Chryst the red zone plays?
HARBAUGH: I think we’ve gone over this multiple times. Greg Roman is the play caller.
ME: When you’re on the sideline, are you only hearing one voice in the headset?
HARBAUGH: I don’t really feel the need to dissect it.
Harbaugh didn’t quite answer my question. I think he’s suggesting that Greg Roman is the one person calling the plays through the headset during the games, although he never actually said it.
If my interpretation is correct, that means while John Morton puts together the game plan for the pass game, and Geep Chryst puts together the game plan for the red zone, Greg Roman calls all the plays during the game – not just the run plays.
Is this how you interpret it? Do you think it makes a difference if there is one voice in Harbaugh’s headset or if there are three voices?
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Who cares? Just stop being so damned predictable! Throw the damn Football on 2nd and 20. Give us 5 screens a game. Stop running when gore is gaining 1 yard a play.
It’s the QBs problem right Jordo! LOL
True that. I could give a rat’s ass who is QB at this point. The play-calling is almost as bad as the MS era. At least MS was entertaining in press conferences.
That sounds about right. I would also add that they all have input during the game, but Roman makes the calls.
I think you pitched the question but it went over his head Grant ;)
Of course the guys all give their suggestions, but as far as Jim is concerned, it all falls on Roman’s head. I’m sure it is Roman’s voice on the line as well, so by virtue of his approval to whichever play he recites, he is responsible. He could easily say no to a Geep recommendation.
Seriously Grant, I think you’ve beaten this horse dead and Harbaugh would agree. How about another ‘why vernon davis isn’t getting any passes thrown his way’ analysis….
Yeah this topic is beyond dead. It never needed to be re-hashed in the first place. It’s just so obvious that coaches share in the game planning process, but ultimately one person ends up calling the plays during the game.
This keeps getting brought up now cause someone wants to find blame somewhere. We were suppose to see a new, exciting, downfield explosive offense since CK was inserted into the starting lineup. Well that has not happened so lets find a coach to blame, pick one any one that suites you!
Prime,
The goal was to bench a weak armed QB with no pocket presence and replacing him with RoboKap. Mission accomplished!
I thought the goal was to win the Super Bowl? President Bush, the mission is not quite accomplished.
Morton and Roman need to turbo charge this offense. Is Jimmy Raye in the building?
Jimmy Raye will soon be in line to become the new general manager for the San Diego Chargers. How many Jimmy Raye’s are in or have been in the NFL?
If I understand correctly, the guy with the Chargers is the son of the former 49er offensive coordinator.
Grant my Xmas list to you is only one request. In the trending comment section can you please include the poster’s name? That way we can see who wrote the comment and avoid it if need be. Some people are just a waste of a click.
Starting with a miss conception makes asking intelligent questions that much more difficult.
As for head phones, my experience is based on SAC heavy bombers of a long past era. More that two voices talking, under time pressure, are a sure path to destruction.
I believe he was telling you to go “F” yourself
I’d love for NFL films to get recordings of the calls coming into the QB or what the head coach is listening to on the sidelines in his headphones.
I’d be very surprised to learn that there is any team out there that utilizes different position coaches to call in plays during the game based on the situation. Seems most plausible that after coming up with his own plan for the run game he meets with Morton and Chryst and works out an “overall plan” based on the input of all 3.
My guess is that Morton and Chryst give Roman suggestive plays to call based upon the down and distance and the defensive packages he might see. The suggestions might be based upon trying to achieve certain match ups and if Roman sees the defense using a specific package he might notice that Morton/Chryst made a note to call a certain play if he see’s that.
So now that you know they do divvy up responsibilities and the process is collaborative, what’s your take on Roman? Does he still need to ask for more help? Does he get credit for using the process you erroneously thought he did not use? Does the responsibility for some of the failings you perceive lie with Morton or Chryst or is it still Roman’s fault?
Roman does a good job with the run game when he has an inside and an outside runner. I’m not convinced he’s a good in-game play caller.
Nobody worry. Grant’s going to get to the bottom of the Niners offensive woes if it takes the rest of the season. And when he does, HEADS WILL ROLL.
Hey Ribico, is this the end of Alex Smith?
As Eddie D once said, “He’s gone.”
But is it the end of the 49ers offensive issues? Seeing your columns and polls lately Grant, it’s also the end of him taking the blame.
I guess the final conclusion is that four people design the plays, but Roman calls them all, sometimes with suggestions from others?
Dead obvious to me that Greg Roman is a bad strategian. Let him design the running plays. Give somebody else a try as play selector.