SANTA CLARA – Jimmy Garoppolo wore a purple ballcap, crouched on the 49ers sideline, and watched from afar as Trey Lance huddled the offense to start out Sunday’s house opener.
Some 20 minutes later, Garoppolo had on his gold helmet and joined solemn teammates in consoling Lance, who was positioned on a cart with a right-ankle harm that requires season-ending surgical procedure Monday.
Identical to that, the 49ers’ season took a dynamic but nearly predictable flip, far past Sunday’s 27-7 victory over the Seattle Seahawks.
Most figured the one manner Garoppolo would reclaim his job was by a Lance harm. For that to occur so early within the season, so early within the 49ers’ house opener, in such ugly trend, it was a seismic shift that reverberated all through the NFL.
“I’m completely happy concerning the win,” 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan mentioned, “nevertheless it’s somber within the locker room while you get in there.”
The 49ers led 3-0 when Lance obtained damage on a 2-yard, zone-read keeper, colliding with defenders Cody Barton and Bryan Mone on the Seahawks’ 19-yard line. Shanahan defended it as a “very regular” play name. Afterward, heart Jake Brendel tried to drag Lance to his ft, however the 2021 draft’s No. 3 choose crumpled again to the rain-laced grass and withered in ache.
Insert: Garoppolo.
“I attempted to organize this complete time like I used to be a starter, anyway, so it was like driving a motorcycle,” Garoppolo mentioned. “I’m not saying I knew this was going to occur however I used to be prepared if it did and simply wish to benefit from the chance.”
That Garoppolo returned for this process was final month’s shock. Three weeks in the past, he agreed to be Lance’s backup with a restructured contract, dropping his base wage from $24 million to $6.5 million. He has an opportunity to recoup some money by way of incentives that now appear very believable, and when advised that he reportedly earned $350,000 for Sunday’s reduction look, he replied: “Now that you just mentioned it, it feels good. You’re not desirous about that stuff on the market. You’re flowing with the sport, making an attempt to get guys prepared.”
It was the perfect Garoppolo might do after his March 8 shoulder surgical procedure scuttled his commerce market. That led him again to the 49ers, though he was confined to a throwing program on the facet area all through camp. “It was extra about getting the shoulder prepared. Mentally I knew the scheme,” Garoppolo mentioned. “A few of the new performs took some time to be taught and there’s at all times wrinkles within the offense. As soon as my shoulder was good, I used to be able to roll.”
That’s how a quarterback, with two NFC Championship Sport appearances up to now three seasons, turned the 49ers’ insurance coverage coverage, and one that would dictate their playoff path as soon as once more.
“I’m actual pleased with Jimmy how he got here in,” Shanahan mentioned. “He was prepared for the second and helped us get a win.”
Requested how Garoppolo seemed, Shanahan broke the strain within the postgame press convention by replying: “He seems good. Nonetheless good-looking.”
Garoppolo iced Sunday’s win with a 1-yard, fourth-and-goal landing dive with 1:51 remaining, after a daring third-down run noticed him collide with proper sort out Mike McGlinchey’s knee simply wanting the objective line.
Um, didn’t the 49ers already misplaced a quarterback to harm on a run earlier within the sport? “Wasn’t my name, man. I simply run the performs,” Garoppolo replied. “It labored out.”
Garoppolo prevailed, in fact, and now he’ll look to enhance on his 35-16 document because the 49ers’ starter, together with his 4-2 playoff mark.
By the point the 49ers filed into their locker room at halftime, they owned a 20-0 lead over the Seahawks, who would lose for less than the second time in 9 years of Levi’s Stadium’s existence. At halftime and after the sport, gamers filed in to test on Lance. “All of us are heartbroken,” backup quarterback Brock Purdy mentioned. “To see him in that coaching room and on the desk, that’s what sucks about this sport.”
Garoppolo completed 13-of-21 for 154 yards with one landing go, one sack and no turnovers. Then got here that acquainted profitable feeling, which he final loved in playoff wins at Dallas and Inexperienced Bay, in addition to the regular-season finale on the eventual Tremendous Bowl-champion Los Angeles Rams.
Garoppolo got here out winging it and in contrast that to his December 2017 debut. He accomplished his first 5 passes, though he obtained drilled by linebacker Uchenna Nwosu on that first go since his NFC Championship Sport-closing interception. That preliminary drive in reduction of Lance resulted in a Robbie Gould area objective, just like the 49ers’ first drive Sunday.
Then got here two touchdowns and three takeaways to drag away from a Seattle workforce coming off an emotionally charged win Monday night time in opposition to their former icon, Russell Wilson, and the Denver Broncos.
The 49ers stretched their result in 13-0 when Garoppolo accomplished a 38-yard landing go to a large open Ross Dwelley, who was among the many tight ends overlaying a second straight sport for George Kittle (groin). As soon as Dwelley dove to stretch the ball throughout the objective line, Deebo Samuel was amongst these to congratulate Garoppolo, who rushed right down to congratulate Dwelley on the 49ers’ second landing this season.
Seattle’s response: Geno Smith threw a excessive go that Talanoa Hufanga tipped to fellow security Tashaun Gipson Sr. for an interception at midfield, 9:53 earlier than halftime. That takeaway produced no factors, however then got here extra interceptions – one by Fred Warner that obtained nullified by an Emmanuel Moseley pass-interference penalty, and one ultimately zone by Mooney Ward on a halfback-option duck from operating again DeeJay Dallas.
Once more, the 49ers offense struggled to transform, till Dwelley recovered a fumble on Tyler Lockett’s muffed punt return. Garoppolo completions to Jauan Jennings and Samuel arrange Kyle Juszczyk for a 1-yard landing run that had a lot brute drive, it popped the helmet off Mone, the Seahawks’ nostril sort out.
Main so comfortably should have felt so overseas to the 49ers. That’s not as a result of a 10-0 lead didn’t maintain up of their opener at Seattle. Return to final season once they have been in survival mode so lengthy simply to make the playoffs en path to extra harrowing wins.
The 49ers’ shutout bid ended, nonetheless, with 5:25 left within the third quarter, when Michael Jackson returned a blocked area objective 86 yards for a Seahawks’ landing to chop their deficit to 20-7. One snap earlier, heart Jake Brendel botched his snap from the 2-yard line and Dwelley recovered the unfastened ball.
Nick Bosa notched 1 1/2 sacks, and his first one got here to open the second half, leaving final 29 minutes till the 49ers might rightfully exhale as victors, albeit after shedding Lance.
“I talked to him a bit of bit. It’s the worst a part of the sport, clearly,” mentioned Bosa, with a nod to his 2020 knee harm, additionally in Week 2. “It occurs immediately and there’s no going again. As soon as it occurs, clearly you are feeling your life is over for a sure period of time. (Surgical procedure) begins your highway again. It’s not going to be straightforward however he’ll be again and he’ll be high-quality. It’s simply actually robust proper now.”