49ers have full faith in Jimmy Garoppolo going forward
If the San Francisco 49ers are going to avenge their Super Bowl defeat, it’s going to be with Jimmy Garoppolo leading the way.
Despite the 49ers rolling to Super Sunday last season, Garoppolo wasn’t seen by most as more than a caretaker. In the NFC playoffs, he was barely asked to throw the ball. He beat the Minnesota Vikings and Green Bay Packers with a combined line of 17-of-27 for 208 yards with a touchdown and interception. You would be excused if those numbers were confused with Bob Griese’s stats in the 1970s.
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Entering his seventh NFL season and fourth with the 49ers, Garoppolo still has much to prove. The 49ers have a phenomenal offensive system designed by head coach Kyle Shanahan. San Francisco will consistently run the ball well and scheme receivers open for the veteran to find. In 2019, Garoppolo threw for 3,978 yards and 27 touchdowns against 13 interceptions. Meanwhile, he was rarely being asked to do too much.
Over 16 regular-season games and three postseason affairs, Garoppolo only threw for 300 or more yards thrice, doing so twice against the Arizona Cardinals and once in a shootout win over the New Orleans Saints (easily Garoppolo’s most impressive performance).
Still, he seemingly has the support of everyone around him. This includes the newly-acquired Pro Bowl left tackle Trent Williams, who recently went on the Rapsheet + Friends podcast and talked about the signal-caller. Per NFL.com:
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“I think Jimmy G is awesome. I think he has proven that he’s a quarterback that you can win with. In this league, it’s just hard to find. Quarterback is the toughest position and I think that’s why you see the contracts where they are. Having a quarterback that you know is going to make the right read, the right throw, I think that has to allow Kyle (Shanahan), you know, give him a chance to sleep at night because just having a guy you know who won’t throw the game away for you. You put him in the best position possible. He’ll win.”
Should Garoppolo cut down on the interceptions incrementally and bolster his instances of throwing successfully in obvious passing situations, San Francisco will become even tougher to beat. Considering their defense and schemes, the 49ers are already a nightmare to contend with, even if Garoppolo profiles as a slightly above-average player with upside.
If the upside is realized? San Francisco becomes the clear favorite in a crowded NFC.
