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Jimmy Garoppolo went from efficient to error-prone in the Pacific Northwest on Sunday, December 5.
The veteran San Francisco 49ers quarterback jogged into Lumen Field as one of the league’s best at third and fourth down conversions, plus entered as a QB who looked like he had cleaned up his earlier mistakes with the football with only two picks thrown during the 49ers’ 4-1 surge.
Garoppolo rolled up in good spirits…and in a signing autograph mood:
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But at the 8:40 mark of the first quarter, this Jimmy G misfire happened:
And after the 49ers walked off the land of the 12th man with a 30-23 loss to the Seattle Seahawks, the critics for Garoppolo came out in full force…but one critical voice came from the man who oversees his QB play.
Kyle Shanahan Responds to Garoppolo’s Performance
Yes, the 30-year-old Garoppolo completed 20 passes out of 30 drop backs and averaged 10 yards per play — plus threw two touchdowns and racked up 299 yards without his best weapon Deebo Samuel.
But the focus was on this stat: Two interceptions. Shanahan himself locked in on those miscues when talking to the Bay Area media following the defeat.
“Those two picks weren’t good plays. He’s got to be better with the ball,” Shanahan bluntly said. “In the first one, (Bobby) Wagner got back — which he does a great job of. And Jimmy’s got to wait for him to go by him. He tried to throw it into the first window. It’s a second window throw. On the next one, both linebackers were back there. Jimmy knew it. Tried to drop it over them, which is an overthrow. Should’ve checked it down below and underneath them.”
He wasn’t the only one who reacted strongly to Garoppolo’s aerial misfires.
Critics Include Those Who Cover the 49ers
That Bobby Wagner interception not only occurred early but inside 49ers’ territory as David Lombardi of The Athletic pointed out:
John Dickinson of 95.7 FM The Game in the Bay Area cracked this joke and posted this rib of Garoppolo:
Jimmy G’s second pick? It came when he was targeting George Kittle.
Then, 49ers beat writer of the Sacramento Bee Chris Biderman pointed out how Garoppolo’s second pick came with Trent Sherfield open — but the ball went elsewhere.
Grant Cohn of Sports Illustrated’s “All 49ers” hoped for a change behind center.
Garoppolo Offers Reaction to Loss and Play
Garoppolo first mentioned to reporters how he knew the 49ers would be in a dog fight.
“It’s always going to be a 60 minute game (with the Seahawks),” Garoppolo said.
Garoppolo did manage to get the 49ers into six-point position toward the end of the game: Putting together a 12-play drive that beforehand, was made possible by Dontae Johnson near the goal line.
But, with Garoppolo eyeing Sherfield who drew a one-on-one, this happened:
“At the end of the day, we’ve just got to finish that drive,” Garoppolo said.
Garoppolo described his picks as him being in a “tough situation” but also spoke with honesty.
“The second one: Just got greedy with it (the ball),” Garoppolo said. “Should’ve been smarter with it and take the check down. Just two tough situations with that.”
Garoppolo tried to show resiliency in the end with the 49ers in that climatic drive that began in behind their own 5-yard line. But as he said, no matter how long the drive or how hard the fight is, the game sometimes comes down to one play.
Garoppolo, though, will have many remembering the two mistakes he threw into the Pacific Northwest air — unfortunately reverting back to the error-prone Jimmy G.
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