(11-01-2020, 08:44 PM)OutsiderFan Wrote: I know some people were already past Jimmy Garoppolo as the answer at QB for the Niners, but I felt most of that sentiment was because he had a bad quarter in the Super Bowl. The opening loss to the Cardinals I put at the feet of not having Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk, or George Kittle for more than half the game. Then Garoppolo got hurt in Week 2 against the Jets. He missed two games the Niners split, then he was pulled against Miami because he clearly was injured still. He beat the Rams and Patriots, but again without Samuel against Seattle, he wasn't very good and again was pulled because of injury.
He missed effectively the entire 2018 season. He stayed healthy and played pretty damn well in 2019, including probably the best game of his career at New Orleans in an epic win. He wasn't asked to do too much in the NFC playoffs, where the run game and suffocating defense was more responsible than he was for winning those games. Then his team had a 4th quarter lead in the Super Bowl he ultimately lost when asked to win it.
Here's the thing. If he's not going to be healthy, he's not worth having. And to my way of looking at it, one of the reasons he can't stay healthy is because he's no longer mobile and quick enough to avoid being injured. His throwing accuracy was absolutely awful today. I don't care if it it injury-related or not. Part of playing the position is being able to be effective when deemed healthy enough to play. Brett Favre had ankle injuries, played hurt, and never was pulled for ineffectiveness.
It pains me to draw this conclusion because I have liked a lot of what Jimmy G has done. He's made a lot of very good plays for the Niners. But no team can't afford what the Niners are paying him to get Nick Mullens-level production either. My point is basically I don't care if he is playing poorly because he is injured. He's not playing well enough to justify paying him as a franchise QB, injured or not, and the Niners simply must improve at the position.
This is going to sound crazy, but the pivotal moment of the game, imo, was when Shanahan called the read-option on 3rd and 4-5 for a RB (and split Jimmy out wide) when 'Niners were on Seattle 44 yard line (or so). I thought Shaw had taken over the headset momentarily in some kind of time-place warp. Anyway, play is ridiculously telegraphed and Seattle smothers it in the backfield for a loss ==> a punt. I am completely fine with running the ball in that situation, with an eye toward going for it on fourth down and am confident Shanahan was thinking along same lines. But do it from a regular formation. That one was WAY too obvious; moreover, when Seattle brings everybody up and Shanahan can see the run blitz is coming, he has to take a timeout there and re-set.
I know San Francisco downed its punt at the 1 and got the ball back shortly thereafter on a Seattle punt, but Jimmy (and the entire O) is based on rhythm and momentum and keeping a D on their heels. That one bad play call bolloxed it all up . . . and early. [The other momentum-breaker was the fumble recovery by Seattle after their punt alluded to above that took forever to overturn. Jimmy gets out of joint and throws a horrific pick after the long delay. Awful.].
Having said all of the above, I'm completely ambivalent as to whether Jimmy stays or goes. Mullens is as good as he is, imo, or awfully close. Neither is an elite-level QB (though there are only a handful of them out there right now).