SANTA CLARA — There’s nothing improper with being a recreation supervisor if it means being a constant winner over a long-term rival.
Jimmy Garoppolo efficiently navigated the 49ers to a 24-9 win over the Los Angeles Rams Monday night time at Levi’s Stadium, the seventh straight time he’s been on the profitable aspect of this matchup within the common season with one loss coming in final yr’s NFC Championship Sport.
Profitable additionally meant not having to fret about social media lip readers questioning if there was a feud with coach Kyle Shanahan. Or bitter get-off-my-lawn varieties analyzing a postgame smile and handshake with an ex-teammate as if was an affront to the skilled sports activities delusion of win or die attempting.
Beating the Rams meant it was OK to smile, and Garoppolo mentioned isn’t actually fazed by the skin chatter anyway.
“I get a kick out of it,” Garoppolo mentioned. “There’s issues like that, you’re all the time going to be criticized. That’s simply the place you’re in as a quarterback, as knowledgeable athlete. You’ve simply obtained to roll with the punches. You’re not right here for lengthy so that you’ve obtained to make it rely when you'll be able to.”
Garoppolo didn’t throw rainbows downfield however he didn’t need to, choosing up 92 yards of completions on brief passes with lengthy runs to Deebo Samuel (57 yards and a landing) and Kyle Juszczyk (a 35-yard achieve) enroute to a passer score of 100.7 which is just about on level together with his profession mark of 102.7 towards the Rams stepping into.
It’s been a remarkably constant components for beating Los Angeles with the 49ers protecting the assault balanced whereas Matthew Stafford and the Rams have been compelled to air with regularity till they lastly made the large mistake.
It got here when Talanoa Hufanga accurately learn a fast cross to the best meant for Cooper Kupp, jumped the route and took it 52 yards for the landing that may give the 49ers’ offense all the assistance it could want to enhance to 2-2.
That Garoppolo and the 49ers offense put up simply 17 factors hardly mattered. What mattered was the underside line. Garoppolo didn’t flip it over and wasn’t sacked. Stafford was 32 of 48 for 254 yards and no touchdowns however threw the important thing interception and misplaced a fumble when sacked late by Samson Ebukam.
“Being a quarterback comes with loads of accountability,” Garoppolo mentioned. “I believe whoever has the ball of their hand has the accountability of the whole group at their fingertips. It comes with expertise, it comes on being on time with the blokes and being on the identical web page.
After going 0-for-9 on third downs earlier than a meaningless conversion late in final week’s 11-10 loss to Denver, the 49ers went 75 yards in eight performs the primary time they'd the ball with Jeff Wilson Jr. scoring on a 32-yard run.
“After two weeks underneath his belt, we knew Jimmy could be simply positive, the Jimmy that we all know,’ Samuel mentioned.
On the drive, Garoppolo accomplished a 10-yard cross to Jauan Jennings on third-and-9 to the Rams’ 49 and a 12-yard cross to Jennings on third-and-5 to the 34. Primary, easy throws — in addition to performs that produced the rhythm that was lacking final week.
“We didn’t convert third downs final week,” Shanahan mentioned. “Jimmy got here out on the primary drive, he made some massive throws there and stored us going and allowed us to start out with a landing. I assumed he did a hell of a job early within the recreation.”
As for his dominance towards the Rams, Garoppolo mentioned he isn’t pondering victory is a foregone conclusion each time he takes the sphere.
“I don’t know if you happen to ever know that,” Garoppolo mentioned. “You’d wish to have the boldness you can beat them. However we’ve had some dogfights towards them. That’s an excellent workforce and provides them credit score. That’s a hell of a D-line. I assumed our guys stood as much as them and performed nicely. Handled some accidents up entrance and guys stored coming.”
STAT BREAKDOWN
Garoppolo was 16 of 27 for 239 yards, two touchdowns, no interceptions and a passer score of 100.7.
Performs in shotgun: 31
Performs underneath middle: 16
Third-down conversions: 5 of 11
49ers’ possessions: 9 (Two touchdowns, one area purpose, one missed area purpose, 4 punts, one on downs.
TOP FIVE THROWS
Shotgun: Garoppolo with 6-yard cross to Deebo Samuel on third-and-3. Samuel breaks free for a 57-yard catch and run with 2:46 left within the half.
Shotgun: On third-and-13 from their very own 42-yard line, Garoppolo throws a fast display screen left to Samuel, who breaks it for 29 yards to the Rams’ 29-yard line with 10:24 remaining.
Shotgun: Garoppolo 12 yards on third-and-5 to Jauan Jennings for first down on the Rams’ 32-yard line. Play preceded a 32-yard landing run by Jeff Wilson.
Shotgun: Garoppolo flare proper to large open Kyle Jusczcyk for 35 yards down proper sideline in third quarter.
Shotgun: Garoppolo 20-yard cross to George Kittle to 46-yard line in third quarter.
BOTTOM FIVE THROWS
Shotgun: Garoppolo misses an open Jennings excessive for potential first down on third-and-10 from their very own 22. 49ers punt.
Shotgun: Garoppolo has cross batted at line on first-and-10 from the 22 early in second quarter.
Shotgun: Garoppolo incomplete brief proper to Samuel on second-and-4 from 49ers’ 37 underneath tight protection from Dernion Kendrick.
Shotgun: Garoppolo sails one out of bounds whereas George Kittle was operating an in-cut on second-and-11 from the 30-yard line.
Shotgun: Garoppolo throws wanting stake to coated Samuel for no achieve from the 49 fairly than downfield with receivers breaking free. 49ers punt.
