Roger Craig fell short of the Hall of Fame this week in his final year of eligibility as a modern-era candidate.

And to that I say: Hallelujah.

Craig’s case can now advance to the Seniors Committee, starting in 2019, where his deserving but nuanced career can get the attention it deserves. Listen up, Seniors Committee: As 49ers coach Bill Walsh once wrote, Craig “is a clear-cut Hall of Famer, and some day he will be honored as such.”

The former 49ers running back had no chance against this crop of modern-era candidates, where eye-popping numbers rule the day. The receivers alone among this year’s finalist class represent three of the top five receiving totals of all-time: Terrell Owens (ranks second), Randy Moss (fourth) and Isaac Bruce (fifth).

The only running back to make the list of 15 finalists was Edgerrin James, who ranks 13th all-time in rushing yards, just ahead of Hall of Famers Marcus Allen, Franco Harris and Thurman Thomas.

Craig, in contrast, ranks a mere 44th on the all-time rushing list, just ahead of Gerald Riggs and Priest Holmes. He’s tied for 88th in total touchdowns.

But don’t be fooled. Roger Craig is a pivotal figure in NFL history, and the Seniors Committee needs to recognize him for what he was: a game-changer. To borrow a line from Bob Costas: “Roger Craig was a cutting-edge player on a cutting-edge team.”

A central figure on three Super Bowl champions, Craig became the new prototype for how running backs can be used, the template for future dual threats like Marshall Faulk and LaDainian Tomlinson.

Craig was the first back to have a 1,000-yard rushing, 1,000-yard receiving season. The first running back with more than 90 catches in a season (a feat that prompted Hall of Fame receiver Art Monk to jokingly tell Craig, “Stay out of my category.”)

Craig was the first player to make the Pro Bowl as both a fullback and a halfback. The first player to score three touchdowns in a single Super Bowl — one rushing, two receiving.

Walsh made the Hall of Fame largely because of his role of innovator. His creativity worked largely because of Roger Craig.

“We asked our backs to catch, block and run. During that time, a lot of NFL offenses didn’t have the kind of dimensions that we insisted upon at the 49ers,” Walsh wrote in the foreword to Craig’s autobiography.

“There was a period of time when Roger was easily one of the best three or four running backs in all of football. I remember John Madden stating flat out that Roger was the best back in the league. I heard that quite a few times in the mid-to-late 1980s.”

For the decade of the ’80s, Craig’s average season included 946.4 rushing yards and 605.9 receiving yards. He averaged 69.0 catches per season during the decade, just a tick behind some guy named Jerry Rice (69.2).

It was revolutionary. Consider the power running game in the era before the 49ers dynasty: Larry Csonka, a fullback for the Miami Dolphins, made the Hall of Fame by virtue of his hard-nosed 8,081 rushing yards (55.3 per game).

Craig, who spent five seasons as fullback, not only topped that career rushing total (with 8,819, at 49.6 per game) but added another 4,911 yards as a receiver. Csonka had 820 receiving yards over 11 career seasons — a total Craig once topped in a single season (1,016 in 1985).

Previous running backs caught passes, of course, notably Lydell Mitchell of the Baltimore Colts, the first back to lead the NFL in receiving (in 1974 and ’77). Chuck Foreman of the Minnesota Vikings also had an NFL-best 73 catches in 1975.

But Craig and Walsh took it to a new level, to an art form, and the 49ers best teams featured Craig in a central, if unselfish, role.

“In another offense, Roger would easily have gained a lot more yards rushing,” Walsh wrote. “But we combined rushing and pass receiving. We looked at total yards … He continued on to be one of the great running backs in NFL history.”

When the Hall of Fame selection committee voted on the NFL’s All-Decade Team for the 1980s, the four running backs were Eric Dickerson, Walter Payton and John Riggins — and Craig. The three others were enshrined in Canton years ago.

The comprehensive database ProFootballReference.com has a formula for identifying players of similar length and quality. For Craig, the most similar player is Dickerson (who topped Craig for offensive rookie of the year honors in 1983). Other similar comps within Craig’s top 10, according to Pro Football Reference, are Tony Dorsett, Thurman Thomas and O.J. Simpson.

So why isn’t he in the Hall already? As so often happens with great teams, Craig suffered in comparison to his more famous teammates. He had the good fortune to play with an all-time elite coach (Walsh), quarterback (Joe Montana and Young), receiver (Jerry Rice), defensive back (Ronnie Lott) and owner (Eddie DeBartolo).

But Craig’s role, and production, have been unfairly ignored.

Consider that the Pittsburgh Steelers dynasty of the 1970s, best known for its “Steel Curtain” defense, actually has four offensive skill players enshrined in the Hall of Fame: John Stallworth, Lynn Swann, Franco Harris and Terry Bradshaw.

The high-powered 49ers of the 1980s have three: Montana, Young and Rice. Worth noting: Craig had more career catches (566) than either Stallworth (537) or Swann (336).

Look, I root for Craig because he also happens to be the most relentlessly positive person I have ever met. We’ve worked on two books together, and I’ve been privileged over the years to see how he interacts with fans with an astonishing level of kindness and enthusiasm.

But his character is just a cherry on top of an already worthy Hall of Fame career. The Seniors Committee has repeatedly demonstrated its ability to spot the historic significance of a player beyond the stats. Raiders quarterback Ken “The Snake” Stabler, to name one, made the Hall in 2016 despite atypical numbers for a Hall of Fame passer (194 TD, 224 INT and a 75.3 passer rating).

Starting in 2019, it will be time to honor Roger Craig, the living embodiment of a 1980s blueprint. Let’s sign off on this debate.

Roger, over and in.