These 49ers are good enough to claim a Lombardi. But with a formidable schedule looming, Jimmy G will need to up his game if San Francisco is to achieve greatness.
When Jimmy Garoppolo signed his mega-contract deal (worth $137.5 million over five years), 49ers fans were elated. And why not? They got Tom Brady’s understudy.
Niner Nation has been waiting for the next Montana or Young to come along. While it’s a stretch to think that Garoppolo will measure up to those Hall of Fame quarterbacks, a more reasonable question is whether he can do enough to bring San Francisco its 6th Super Bowl championship.
In 2019, so far, so good. The 49ers have been crushing opponents with a wall on defense that even Donald Trump would admire. Ranked #1 in total defense, no NFL team is better. They’ve been smashing teams, too, with four running backs piling up yards. Ranked second in rushing so far this year, the Niners’ ball-totting crew brings fresh legs and high energy to each game. What an advantage!
On the sidelines, Kyle Shannahan is showing that he’s a mastermind offensive coach–just like his father Mike was at Denver and Washington. Kyle, like his dad, understands that you can control the game if you can control the line of scrimmage. Just watch the 49ers this season, and you’ll see that principle in action.
With the #1-ranked defense, #2-ranked offense, and a brilliant young coach, these Niners seem complete. But they’re not, and here’s why.
Those numbers won’t do! Sooner or later imperfection at QB will show up for San Fran in the won-loss record, and (to be brutally honest) improvement thus far is blurry to the eye. And hope–if there is hope–is stationed down the road.
So far in ’19, Garoppollo hasn’t had to sling the ball down the field and make big plays. But that won’t last. Eventually, he’s going to have to do both for the Niners to keep winning. The question is, can he?
Kyle Shanahan knows his stuff (photo, Head Coaching Ranking)
Well, we’re likely to find out over the next few weeks. San Fran’s schedule is mountain-like. They play the Seahawks twice and, then, go up against not one, but three, division leaders–the 5-2 Ravens, 7-1 Packers, and 7-1 Saints. Defending NFC champ LAR looms on the horizon, too.
So there’s no doubt about this. In those games, Jimmy Garoppolo will be called upon to do things he hasn’t had to do through the first two months of the season, that is, be proficient at throwing the ball downfield and connecting on deep passes.
At this point, I don’t know where Jimmy and the Niners fit in NFL history. Time will tell where there do. Could San Francisco be the Baltimore Ravens of 2000 with Trent Dilfer leading the way? Are they the 1985 Chicago Bears with its monster run game, a ferocious defense, and a QB who was ‘just good enough.’ Perhaps they’ll take a page out of Bill Parcels’ book of hard-nosed defense with a strong running game and a QB by the name of Jeff Hostetler whose best attribute was that he didn’t screw-up.
But what I know for sure is this: in 2019, the 49ers have the talent to make a Super Bowl run. But to do that, Jimmy Garoppolo must improve his game substantially. If not, GM John Lynch needs to find somebody else.
Why am I being so harsh? Windows don’t stay open very long in the NFL–unless you’re the Patriots. The time is now for Jimmy G and these 49ers. The team is just too good, overall, to be potentially kept back by one player.
Just so you know where I stand, “I’m rooting for you, Jimmy!”
