Garoppolo focuses on present, avoids the roller-coaster ride
To Jimmy Garoppolo, a patient man in an impatient environment, it was simply a matter of time.
When Garoppolo was vilified for stepping out of the back of the end zone for a safety and the 49ers were 1-for-10 on third down in an 11-10 loss to Denver in Week 3, there was a collective groan that stretched throughout the Bay Area and beyond.
Two months later, Garoppolo is the toast of the town — a quarterback in search of a Pro Bowl and a Super Bowl who looks good enough to accomplish both.
It's a far cry from throwing on a side field after shoulder surgery and being a non-participant until determining the best course of action was to return as the backup to Trey Lance.
“I know a lot people don't want to hear this, but I didn't go to training camp with these guys,” Garoppolo said Friday. “I know I played a lot of football with them, but not from the timing aspect. Going back to Denver, we were going through training camp that week of practice. We've gotten better each week. Guys are on the same page, talking the same language.”
Rather than worry about public perception, whether it be hyper-critical or fawning, Garoppolo is focused on keeping the 49ers (64) on track Sunday against the New Orleans Saints (47) at Levi's Stadium.
“That's life as a quarterback,” Garoppolo said. “It's always going to be a roller coaster. Every season is. No one is going to be perfect the whole season. The good teams find a way to be right down the middle during the ups and downs. A lot of things are said out there. A lot of people have their opinions, but the locker room is steady.”
Garoppolo is completing 67 percent of his passes for 2,159 yards with 15 touchdowns and four interceptions. His passer rating of 104.1 trails only Miami's Tua Tagovaiola, (118.4), Kansas City's Patrick Mahomes (107.3), and Philadephia's Jalen Hurts (106.5).
His last interception came in Week 7 vs. Kansas City, and Garoppolo's streak of 100 passes without a pick is the second-longest of his career behind his streak of 103 in 2017.
Garoppolo's ability to throw with proper touch in short range has enabled receivers such as Christian McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk and others to gain yards after the catch. As much as those deep into analytics concern themselves with “air yards,” the ability to feather a ball to a receiver who can catch it on the dead run in short range is an important skill.
“Jimmy to me is somebody who plays beyond the Xs and Os,” McCaffrey said. “He understands the game and the (short passes) are not easy and not everyone has it. He has it, and he's got that special knack to know where to throw the ball and when to throw it. He feels space so well, he makes our job easy.”
Steve Young, who on his weekly show on KNBR680 has expressed concern about Garoppolo and the amount of trust he and coach Kyle Shanahan have in each other, heard talk from fans in Mexico City who wondered why he was so critical of the 49ers' starting quarterback.
“I've come to the conclusion that I don't want Jimmy around for a couple of months. I want him around for 10 years,” Young said. “The most exciting thing for me is I want Jimmy to become the full measure of who he is, with this offense.”
Young said the offense is perfect not only for Garoppolo but an offense he would have loved to play in himself.
“If I could choose somewhere, I would choose here,” Young said. “Jimmy, if he could choose, I'll choose for him . . . trust me on this, James Garoppolo. There's no place you want to be other than right here.”
DEEBO QUESTIONABLE FOR SAINTS >> Samuel, limited all week in practice with a hamstring strain suffered against Arizona, is listed as questionable.
Defensive tackle Arik Armstead (foot/ankle) practiced for the first time in a month, but is still “doubtful” Sunday.