In order to address the issue of slow excavation speed caused by various factors affecting the stability of the roof in the excavation face and the unreasonable distance of the unsupported roof, a mechanical model of the roof in the excavation face area is established. This model is based on the superposition method in the material mechanics. The immediate roof deflection curve equation and the maximum unsupported roof distance discriminant formula of the heading head are derived. The allowable deflection is used as the discriminant method of the maximum unsupported roof distance. The calculation method of the key parameters in the formula is obtained and compared with the existing maximum unsupported roof distance calculation formula. Using the single-variable sensitivity analysis method and the bivariate interaction analysis method, we determine the key factors affecting the deformation of the roof in the excavation face and their interaction relationships. The results indicate that among the 10 factors affecting the deformation of the roof in the temporary support area of the excavation face, there are 3 key factors. Under unchanged geological and mechanical conditions, the deformation of the roof primarily depends on the length of the temporary support area and the temporary support load. To provide a practical example, we calculate the maximum unsupported roof distance of 30304 tailgate in the Yanghuopan Coal Mine to be 3.4 m. Numerical simulation and field monitoring results confirm that the deformation of the roof in the excavation face is minimal, and the stability of the rock is good.