San Francisco 49ers: What We Learned About Greg Roman's Game Plan in Week 1

San Francisco 49ers fans were given more than a glimpse of what the future holds for their offense in last Sunday's dominant 28-17 Week 1 win over the archrival Dallas Cowboys.

The offense did not have to do much to put San Francisco in command, with Jim Harbaugh's men jumping ahead 21-3 in the first quarter having taken just four offensive snaps.

Those four plays were impressive, however, as quarterback Colin Kaepernick took advantage of the turnovers created by the defense to throw two quick strikes to tight end Vernon Davis.

Kaepernick was impressive throughout at AT&T Stadium and looked at ease with the new weapons that have been added to the passing offense this past offseason, as he ended the game 16 of 23 for 201 yards and his two six-pointers.

Running backs Frank Gore and Carlos Hyde, who scored his first NFL touchdown in the second quarter, also looked good, but how did the performance reflect on offensive coordinator Greg Roman?

Here I analyze Roman's game plan from the win and discuss what it means for the Niners offense going forward.

Spreading the field

One of the main criticisms of Roman, despite the 49ers' success in the last three seasons, is that his play-calling has been too conservative.

The numbers backed that argument up; the 49ers were last in the NFL in using three-receiver sets, per ESPN.com's Bill Williamson.

However, the additions of Steve Johnson and Brandon Lloyd appear to have prompted Roman to open things up through the air, something which was evident in Dallas as San Francisco utilized personnel groupings with three receivers extensively.

NFL.com

Per Jeff Deeney of Pro Football Focus, the 49ers used the 11 personnel grouping—one running back, three receivers and one tight end—on 51.7 percent of their offensive snaps, more than double their average of 21.6 percent from the 2013 season.

And Roman will have seen little to deter him from continuing to deploy such a formation on a regular basis as all three of his top receivers and tight end Davis enjoyed relatively strong days.

The evergreen Anquan Boldin maintained his form from last term, catching eight balls for 99 yards, while Davis finished the game with four grabs for 44 yards and his two scores.

Furthermore, Michael Crabtree, despite being hampered by a calf injury, made two receptions for 25 yards, and new-boy Johnson hauled in two balls for 33 yards on his debut with his hometown team.

Lloyd also featured and, although he was unable to record a catch, the fact that all five of those receiving targets were involved indicates that Roman is just as excited as Kaepernick to have some new toys to play with.

Throughout Harbaugh's tenure in San Francisco, the 49ers have long been considered to be a run-first offensive team. Roman's willingness to spread things out versus Dallas suggests that will no longer be the case in the 2014 season.

Balance

San Francisco may not necessarily be a run-first team going forward, but the Niners are certainly not about to abandon the ground game.

The 49ers ran the ball a total of 29 times in Dallas, per PFF (subscription required), and were very effective in doing so as they took time off the clock in the second half to effectively end any hope of a Cowboys comeback.

This team will continue to run the ball in 2014, but the way it does so appears in line to change.

LM Otero/Associated Press

For years the 49ers have relied primarily on Gore, who became only the 29th player in the history of the NFL to pass 10,000 rushing yards by gaining 66 yards on 16 attempts against the Cowboys.

However, as many predicted, Gore looks set to have a reduced workload this season as the 49ers gave a healthy dose of carries to rookie Hyde.

Hyde did not disappoint, finishing the game with 50 yards from seven rushes with a four-yard touchdown that put the Niners 28-3 to the good.

That performance should only make Roman more willing to utilize the considerable skill set of the former Ohio State star to help keep aging veteran Gore as fresh as possible.

LaMichael James also had two rush attempts for zero yards, a display that fittingly encapsulated his San Francisco career, which was brought to an end Monday as the 49ers sanctioned his request for a release.

Roman called a perfectly even game in Dallas, with the pass plays attempted by the 49ers also amounting to 29, according to PFF.

And although the Niners will not face a defense as weak as that of the Cowboys in every game, the fact that they enjoyed so much success in both aspects of the offense should provide plenty of encouragement for Roman as he seeks to find the same offensive balance on a regular basis.

Continuing Kaepernick's development

Kaepernick has continually stated his desire is to shed the image of a running quarterback and develop into a pocket passer.

The Niners and Roman share this vision, a point that was made clear in a game in which Kaepernick barely featured as a running threat.

In the entire game Kaepernick attempted just five rushes, finishing the game with a mere 11 yards.

Only one of those attempts was a designed quarterback run as Kaepernick barely got beyond the line of scrimmage on a read-option play.

In truth there was never any need for the 49ers to make use of Kaepernick's considerable attributes as a runner given the way the clash quickly developed into a rout.

Pro Football Focus

Kaepernick was still able to demonstrate his substantial mobility, particularly on the first of the two touchdown passes to Davis, which saw the former Nevada star evade the rush, bounce outside and escape a sack before firing an off-balance throw into the arms of his tight end.

Against better defenses with more potent pass rushes—Dallas sacked Kaepernick just once—Roman and the 49ers may choose to use their signal-caller's legs more often to keep those more effective opposing units off balance.

Still, Roman and the Niners know that the pocket passer is king in the NFL, and as long as Kaepernick continues to perform as efficiently as he did last Sunday, it seems likely that the designed run will become less of a factor as San Francisco seeks to try to become one of the top offensive teams in the league.

Final Thoughts

The Niners will face tougher tests this season and will certainly not be able to control the game with such ease every week.

Of course the lopsided nature of the contest made life much easier for Roman, but it should be reassuring for fans to see a desire to mix things up, use more three-receiver sets and give Kaepernick the chance to develop a rapport with other targets after relying so heavily on Boldin and Davis in 2013.

A running game seemingly reinvigorated by the presence of Hyde will continue to be a factor, while the threat of Kaepernick's ability to use his legs should remain a concern for defensive coaches across the league.

What Roman appears to be building is a well-balanced offense based around variety and an envious volume of weapons.

It remains extremely early to predict how the 49ers offense will perform the rest of the way and how defenses will adjust to this newly stacked unit.

However, with the offense potentially needing to put up more points to assist a depleted—although clearly not underperforming—defense, those yearning for a more aggressive game plan should be satisfied with what they have seen from Roman so far.

All statistics courtesy of NFL.com unless otherwise stated.

Nicholas McGee is a San Francisco 49ers Featured Columnist based in Leeds, England. Follow him on Twitter @nicholasmcgee24.