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SANTA CLARA – San Francisco 49ers offensive coordinator Greg Roman is leaving the second-guessing to others, he said.
“I think second-guessing and critiquing are two different things, “ Roman said Thursday. “(We) always critique. When we fall short, it starts squarely with me. (I) got to do a better job getting us prepared, getting us to execute better. It starts with me.
“We’re constantly evaluating, critiquing. Second-guessing gets you nowhere. That’s pretty much worthless. But (we’re) critiquing, evaluating constantly.”
Coach Jim Harbaugh said on Monday he is satisfied with Roman’s performance as offensive coordinator. But the team's offense has fallen short of expectations this season.
[MAIOCCO: Kaepernick can't 'put finger' on 49ers' offensive woes]
The 49ers rank 19th in the NFL in total yards per game. They are 23rd in points per game. The first-team offense has not scored a touchdown in the fourth quarter this season.
It was pointed out to Roman that anecdotal evidence suggests he appears to be losing popularity points among the team's fanbase.
“That’s news to me,” Roman said. “I really don’t pay attention to that. All the fans I come across are very gracious and very classy. But really can’t concern myself with the flak that might fly around, good or bad. I don’t think any of us do.
“Everything we concern ourselves with is with each other, inside the building, regardless of what happened the previous week, good or bad. You’re just trying to get better and get prepared for the next week to win the next game.”
Several players, including Frank Gore and Joe Staley, have insisted the 49ers' problems on offense are not a matter of the wrong plays being called.
[REWIND: Gore backs Roman, spreads blame throughout entire team]
Players have suggested that it falls on them for not executing the plays properly.
Fullback Bruce Miller said the focus among the players is to make sure the plays that are called become successful.
“They are going to call the plays like they are going to call them,” Miller said. “Now, we have to help them out when they do call the runs early in the game. We have to make them work, not kind of force them out and throw the football.
"But if they’re loading the boxes we have to make it right and make it work so that they have the confidence that we’re going to be able to run the football. A lot of it is on us. We have to make it right early in the downs and early in the game."
Said Roman, “In a nutshell, we got to improve. We have professional athletes, professional coaches, working very hard to get that done. And we feel like we’ve let some things slip in games where a little mistake here or there, a circumstance here or there . . . But guys are working extremely hard to get it right, and that’s what we aim to do.”
