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It’s only been two games, but 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo is already under fire.
The 49ers are 2-0 after wins over the Detroit Lions and Philadelphia Eagles, but Garoppolo was not spectacular in Week 2 and his inability to effectively attack the Eagles defense in depth and at the border led many to criticize veteran flagman and call on rookie quarterback Trey Lance, who did not play in Week 2, to get more snaps.
However, former 49ers offensive tackle and current NBC Sports Bay Area analyst Joe Staley sees a huge problem with criticism that Garoppolo is not attacking downstream.
“He didn’t have the huge games on the pitch and that’s what I think everyone who loves fantasy football and stats and all those stat models and everything wants to be like,” well he does pitch not the ball 40 yards into the field, “” Staley told KNBR on Monday. “Well that’s not what he was asked to do in this offense. It never has been. If you look at Kyle Shanahan’s offense, it’s never really been that. It was all about controlling the clock, moving the ball around the pitch and doing whatever it takes to win.
The fact that Shanahan, who used a more vertical attack as the Atlanta Falcons offensive coordinator, chose to handcuff his quarterback with the ploy, is a testament to the limitations he knows about Garoppolo.
In two weeks, Garoppolo has thrown just two passes that have traveled 20 yards or more in the air, and the 49ers have just six passes that have qualified as explosives. Garoppolo averages just 3.6 aerial yards per game and his average target depth (5.2) ranks ahead of Matt Ryan, who has a horrible offensive line, and Andy Dalton.
Against the Eagles, Garoppolo threw 11 of his 30 passes behind the line of scrimmage, five within five yards of LOS and another seven under 10. He was 19 for 23 with a touchdown pass on those shots. He went 3-for-7 with two turnover-worthy throws and two more misses on throws more than 10 yards past the line of scrimmage.
The 49ers focused on screen play in the second half, which is a factor in Garoppolo’s weak air courses and average target depth. And he gave Deebo Samuel a nice shot on what turned into a huge win.
RELATED: Schrock Observations: 49ers Offensive Needs To Get More Explosive
But if you look at Garoppolo’s two-week pass chart, he hasn’t been able to attack two-thirds of the field. His inability to beat teams vertically and to the limit puts more pressure on Shanahan to set up the opening for Samuel, George Kittle and ideally Brandon Aiyuk for big runs after the capture.
For two weeks, however, the 49ers’ passing attack lacked explosiveness aside from two big catch-and-runs from Samuel, one of which was the product of a spilled ball from Garoppolo during the week. 1. This forces the 49ers to rely on perfect execution, good turnover luck and their opponents making mistakes. While this formula is probably good enough to get them to the playoffs, it might not be as effective against teams like the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Los Angeles Rams, Kansas City Chiefs and others, who are known for score points on the board. .
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