Why Greg Roman is the Problem

by Mario Granata
Now much has been made of Tyrod Taylor and his contract extention and how he has performed as the starting quarterback for the Buffalo Bills.  Some fans are saying that he is the best quarterback that the Bills have had since Doug Flutie, while others are still skeptical about the 6th round pick.  Are his stats impressive?  Sure.  Are the Bills a far more talented team than their 6-7 record?  No question.  Maybe the focus shouldn’t be on Kaepernick, uh, I mean, Taylor with his play.  Maybe we should examine the man behind the calls for where the Bills are currently. 

​Many of you are fans who observe the Bills at a distance. Some of you are probably former players who can see the game from within. No matter where you stand, you should be made aware of the ramifications of what will happen if this trend continues. Throughout the year, many have made comments about how the Bills would be one team before the half, and another one when they come out. That is directly related to the fact that Greg Roman refused (or doesn’t think he needs to) adjust his game plan from one that has been successful for him in San Francisco. When you look at the numbers of Tyrod Taylor to Colin Kapernick, they are shocking to say the least.

Through their first 11 starts during the regular season here is how the two quarterbacks coached by Greg Roman stack up:

Kaepernick
188-309 61% 2464 yards, 15 TD, 7 Int, 68 rushes, 378 yards.

Taylor
195-307 64% 2439 yards, 18 TD, 5 Int, 71 rush, 371 yards.

Taking a look at the numbers through 11 games, its hard to make an argument that Roman just took the playbook that he gave Kaepernick and just handed it to Taylor like he was coaching a clone of him. Does Greg Roman think that Taylor and Kaepernick are the same type of player? I have yet to see Kaepernick throw a decent long ball in the NFL while Taylor has one that can drop in a bucket.

There are two other points to mention here that cannot be ignored. In the 39 games that Kaepernick has started for Roman he only managed 8 4th quarter comeback wins. Taylor is 0-4, which means that Roman’s offense is only designed to work with a lead and to have the defense close games out. Remember the defenses that the 49ers had during Roman’s tenure there? I sure do.

The second point is the defense. During Kaepernicks first 11 games, he managed a 7-4 record, where the defense of the 49ers gave up 20 or more points 5 times. The 49ers were 2-3 in those games. In Taylor’s 11 games, the Bills have surrendered more than 20 points defensively 6 times and have gone 1-5 in those games. Maybe Greg Roman’s offense isn’t designed to put up points and score with teams, which is why it is failing in this “New” NFL.

Another little bit of information that you might want to know is that 5 months before his 27th birthday the 49ers signed Kaepernick to a 6-year 114 million dollar deal. Tyrod Taylor turns 27 this summer. If you are a fan of Taylor are you prepared to dole out that kind of cash for a player who may eventually suffer the same fate as Kaepernick if Roman would jump ship to another team? I don’t know if I would.