Jimmy Garoppolo helped the San Francisco 49ers offense vastly improve in Week 13 and their new quarterback can help them play spoiler down the stretch.
Given the widespread rave reviews Jimmy Garoppolo earned for his first start as a member of the San Francisco 49ers, it would be no surprise if head coach Kyle Shanahan spent much of this week tempering expectations. Yes it came against the three-win Chicago Bears, but Garoppolo’s performance on the road against a solid defense has raised hope that the quarterback the 49ers traded a second-round pick for in October has what it takes to be the franchise guy under center.
Garoppolo has received a plethora of plaudits for the way he threw with accuracy and anticipation, showed poise in the pocket under pressure and brought up the play of his receivers and of an offense that had looked anaemic with C.J. Beathard at the helm a week earlier against the Seahawks.
He and the Niners now have four games in which to try to finish strong, facing the Houston Texans on Sunday before taking on three playoff contenders in the the Tennessee Titans, Jacksonville Jaguars and Los Angeles Rams.
Those are three tough matchups for a young 49ers team that has struggled to close out games in which they have been competitive. However, they have hung with better teams on numerous occasions this season and, with Garoppolo under center, the Niners are in position to potentially spoil the playoff hopes, or at least affect the playoff seeding of these teams.
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Garoppolo evidently makes the Niners’ offense a more threatening attack, but there have also be other signs that this is a team heading in the right direction.
A healthy offensive line performed well in Chicago, giving up only two sacks and, though they run game did not really flourish, the 49ers have gotten consistent production from Carlos Hyde and Matt Breida on the ground and through the air.
Marquise Goodwin showed that he is more than just a deep threat with his eight-catch 99-yard performance in Week 13, while Trent Taylor is a slot receiver teams need to be aware of, the flu-ridden rookie catching all six of his targets for 92 yards, inlcuding a key 33-yard third-down catch on the game-winning drive.
The defense’s play against the run continues to improve. San Francisco did not allow either the Seattle Seahawks or the Bears to reach 100 yards on the ground in the last two weeks, and the 49ers are only giving up 3.9 yards per carry on average.
Meanwhile, the pass defense has only allowed two 300-yard games this season and, though the secondary is vulnerable, the presence of young physical playmakers such as linebacker Reuben Foster and safety Adrian Colbert gives the unit an edge that should be worthy of increasing respect.
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Even with Garoppolo, the 49ers will be underdogs in every game down the stretch but, as he grows more comfortable in Shanahan’s scheme, the more wary opposing teams will have to be of San Francisco. The Niners are playing for pride, but none of their remaining opponents can afford to take them lightly.