San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo (10) arms off towards the Dallas Cowboys throughout the first half of an NFL wild-card playoff soccer recreation in Arlington, Texas, Sunday, Jan. 16, 2022. (AP Picture/Ron Jenkins)
SANTA CLARA — Sprained thumb? Jimmy Garoppolo overcame it in an additional time win over the Rams. Sprained shoulder? He performed by way of that — albeit not too nice — in Sunday’s cliff-hanging win over the Cowboys.
“It’s playoff soccer,” Garoppolo stated Tuesday. “We all know what time it's. No time to relaxation proper now.”
What does he have up his sleeve — or bandages, or brace, or harness — to shake off Saturday night time’s chill at Lambeau Subject, the place a low of three levels is predicted when the 49ers go to the top-seeded Inexperienced Bay Packers within the playoffs’ divisional spherical?
“I’ve performed within the chilly my complete life so it received’t be loopy with that,” Garoppolo, an Illinois native, stated earlier than Tuesday’s 5 p.m. apply. “I’m studying to regulate and that’s what this week of apply is for. We’re in a great place, although.”
Good, as in he’s assured he’ll play?
“We’ll really feel it out all through the week. Feeling good proper now,” Garoppolo responded.
Which damage is worse, the shoulder or thumb? “They’re fairly shut,” he stated.
After Garoppolo jammed his shoulder with an ungainly touchdown within the second quarter of Sunday’s win at Dallas, he stated each ensuing throw was impacted. All he did was stretch and never throw throughout Tuesday’s 5-minute media entry to the walk-through apply inside Levi’s Stadium.
As has been the case since Garoppolo’s Dec. 23 thumb damage — involving a torn ligament and bone chip — the 49ers certainly can have prepared rookie Trey Lance for motion. Lance performed the whole thing of a Jan. 2 win over Houston, however Garoppolo has taken each snap the final two video games.
What's Shanahan’s objective for Lance’s scout-team function this week as he mimics Aaron Rodgers? “Aaron does an actual good job not making unhealthy selections and never turning the ball over,” Shanahan stated. “He additionally makes all performs downfield everytime you’re off a hair. We want Trey to be aggressive and let it rip.”
Linebacker Fred Warner on that: “It’d be a tall job to inform Trey to be Aaron Rodgers three days earlier than we head on the market. He’s accomplished nice all season. You don’t actually really feel Aaron Rodgers till you’re on the market towards the person himself.”
Rodgers is 0-3 all-time within the playoffs towards the 49ers — 2012 divisional spherical at Candlestick Park, 2013 wild-card thriller at chilly Lambeau, and the 2020 season’s NFC Championship Sport rout at Levi’s Stadium.
Shanahan downplayed what was previously and targeted extra on the current, including: “Everybody is aware of Aaron is the person. However this doesn’t must do with the final time we met within the playoffs and it doesn’t must do with our recreation earlier this 12 months. It’s one recreation, it’s Saturday, it’s 3 ½ hours, and it’s this workforce vs. their workforce.”
Rodgers concurred, telling Inexperienced Bay reporters he has “no further motivation. I’ve been round, performed a whole lot of soccer. I perceive the historical past of this rivalry, the historical past of us towards them. However these are totally different groups.”
With Rodgers presumably fleeing Inexperienced Bay after this season — he redid his contract previous to the season with an escape clause — he predictably fielded a query earlier than his eleventh postseason on the helm, solely one in every of which ended with a Lombardi Trophy (2010).
“I perceive in our enterprise, a lot of it's targeted on wins and losses, particularly within the playoffs, Tremendous Bowl rings, and all that stuff,” Rodgers stated. “I perceive that’s a part of my legacy I will probably be judged on after I’m accomplished enjoying.”
INJURY REPORT
Linebacker Fred Warner is assured he’ll play Saturday regardless of aggravating an ankle damage relationship again to Dec. 12: “The MRI outcomes got here again nice. It was excellent news and the way in which I’ve been feeling offers me confidence.”
He exited Dallas’ synthetic turf with 8 1/2 minutes left, simply earlier than the Cowboys pulled inside 23-17. “It was change of path. My cleat received caught within the turf and my ankle folded beneath itself, much like what occurred in Cincinnati,” Warner stated. “After that, it was sheer ache. It’s over now, for certain.”
Warner and Garoppolo have been to be restricted in Tuesday’s session, together with operating again Elijah Mitchell (knee), security Talanoa Hufanga (knee) and linebackers Dre Greenlaw (groin), Azeez Al-Shaair (knee) and Marcell Harris (Achilles).
Cornerback Ambry Thomas has a bone bruise in his knee and limped throughout workforce stretch, casting doubt on if he’ll be capable of keep within the beginning lineup.
Defensive ends Nick Bosa (concussion protocol) and Jordan Willis (excessive ankle sprain) weren't cleared to apply, as anticipated.
RESPECT FOR SAMUEL
On Deebo Samuel’s 9 landing runs, he's averaging 16.4 yards, and 15.1 of that comes earlier than a defender even makes contact, in response to ESPN.
The self-described “broad again” — or, a large receiver moonlighting at operating again — has the admiration of Packers operating again Aaron Jones, who stated: “Once you line him up within the backfield, he can take it to the home. He can be used as a receiver out of the backfield and be a mismatch with the linebacker. They do an effective way of getting him the ball.”
Bear in mind the postgame reveal by which Shanahan stated Samuel requested the ball earlier than his 26-yard landing for the eventual successful factors? NFL Movies shared the audio/video from it, to which Sanders takes the sector telling Shanahan, “Hey Kyle, Kyle — let’s go.” Samuel then says within the 49ers’ huddle: “Let’s go put the ball within the field.” After he scored, Samuel stated on the sideline to his coach: “I informed you, I informed you. Let’s go.”
Packers coach Matt LaFleur known as Samuel one of many league’s most dynamic, elite gamers, in addition to a bodily receiver. “It does current some issues while you aren’t fairly certain the place he’s going to line up,” LaFleur stated. “Is it going to be within the halfback posting, and the halfback is out broad, or vice versa?”
COACHING INTERVIEWS
Mike McDaniel and DeMeco Ryans, the 49ers’ offensive and defensive coordinators, respectively, will conduct their first interviews for head-coach openings on Wednesday over video conferences, Sports activities Illustrated reported. McDaniel, 38, will speak with the Miami Dolphins and Ryans, 37, is with the Vikings.
WEATHER ADVICE
Saturday night time’s forecast low is 3 levels. Shanahan’s recommendation to his workforce: “Put together to decorate heat and get your thoughts proper, and when you do, then it’s often not an element. … Some guys received’t put on sleeves and will probably be thoughts over matter for them and it'll work for them. I’ll gown as heat as potential.
“No matter guys do, they should realize it’s actual deal, the climate is chilly however that’s no purpose to have an effect on a recreation. Wind is a a lot greater issue. Rain is an element. However the chilly climate, you are able to do one thing about that. Once you’re operating and hitting, you don’t keep too chilly.”
SPECIAL TEAMS REVIEW
Particular groups coach Richard Hightower had this to say concerning the Cowboys finishing a fake-punt completion towards Josh Norman: “The man simply ran route on him. … Josh can’t wait to get again on the market.”
Hightower stated a roughing-the-punter penalty was a consequence (and studying expertise) for Mark Nzeocha and River Cracraft.
The special-teams vivid spot: Robbie Gould, who’s made all 18 field-goal makes an attempt and 31 extra-point kicks in his postseason profession. “Often December and January are often Robbie Gould’s months. His birthday is in December and he’s locked and loaded.”
Left deal with Trent Williams addressed the particular groups unit earlier than final recreation to encourage them and clarify their significance for subject place. This week, that unit’s movie evaluate included the 2014 workforce’s wild-card win at Lambeau, which was received on Phil Dawson’s walk-off subject objective.
TRANSACTIONS
Activated off the COVID reserve listing have been operating again Raheem Mostert (who stays on injured reserve by way of the playoffs) and fullback Josh Hokit. Launched from the apply squad have been cornerback Luq Barcoo and punter Ryan Winslow.