49ers giving other teams new things to think about

Roman doesn't like to call them trick plays, but the offensive coordinator's creative play selection last week sparked the 49ers to their most productive performance of the season during a 34-0 rout of the New York Jets.

Mixing in a collection of well-timed reverses and option plays and unveiling backup quarterback Colin Kaepernick as a new weapon, Roman kept the New York defense off balance as San Francisco set season highs in several offensive categories.

It also served notice that more new wrinkles could be coming as the 49ers look to expand their offense.

That could include more new contributors such as running back Brandon Jacobs, who might play for the first time this season Sunday against the Buffalo Bills.

After missing San Francisco's first four games with a knee injury, Jacobs is practicing this week without limitations. He's set to make his 49ers debut against the Bills, adding another piece for Roman to work into the NFL's third-ranked rushing attack.

Roman did a pretty good job working in Kaepernick and getting others involved last week. Nine different San Francisco players had at least one carry as the 49ers gained a season-high 379 yards while rushing for 245 — their highest total in coach Jim Harbaugh's two seasons with the team.

"The more guys we can get involved, the better," Roman said Thursday. "We've had different things up every week and chose to use it last week. But I don't look at them as trick plays. They're football plays. The rules are the rules, and we're within the rules. I don't know that we have trick plays."

The 49ers used Kaepernick effectively during the handful of plays he was on the field in place of starting quarterback Alex Smith. Kaepernick had a 17-yard run and a 7-yard touchdown run out of the shotgun formation on his first two carries, then broke loose for a 30-yard gain on his third carry.