Quarterback more than just a holiday present
This time of year, you hear about “the greatest gift of all.” Now we know what it means. Yes. Jimmy Garoppolo. The 49ers played their final home game of the 2017 season Sunday and it felt like slipping through a tear in the universe’s fabric. An alternate Levi’s Stadium reality.
Raucous. Joyous. The offense moving up and down the field. The defense making plays. Points scored. Fans cheering. A victory over a playoff-bound team. Four wins in a row.
“Today it seemed like we were the better team,” head coach Kyle Shanahan said.
And he was right. What
exactly is happening?
We can’t be quite sure but Merry Garoppomas to all.
Sunday was a vastly different experience from pretty much any other game held at Levi’s. It felt a little like Candlestick.
“It’s awesome,” Garoppolo said of the vibe at Levi’s. “There’s a buzz in the air. You can feel it as soon as you walk in the stadium. The crowd is going nuts even in the pregame.”
At one point, late in the game, the crowd broke out in a chant. Some said it was “Jimmy G” but others thought it was “MVP.” Shanahan joked that kicker Robbie Gould said the MVP cheer was for him.
This is a 5-10 team with MVP chants and predictions from Carlos Hyde about going to the Super Bowl next year (“I’m going to have to talk to him about that,” Garoppolo joked).
All of the 49ers’ fans — starved for competence and excitement — are on the Garoppolo bandwagon. At La Rocca’s Corner in North Beach, a clever bit of marketing on the marquee this week: “Jimmy Garoppolo here tonight, looking for a date.”
No word on how many hopefuls — of both sexes — went there.
All that’s left now — besides one more game against the Rams — is for the 49ers to ink a long-term contract with Garoppolo, win a couple of Super Bowls and everyone lives happily ever after.
On Sunday, the 49ers’ offense was clicking. The defense was playing well. The atmosphere was lively. And it was all coming at the expense of a trendy Super Bowl pick.
Garoppolo led his team to a touchdown on the opening drive, against the league’s best defense. The 49ers jumped to a 16-0 lead early in the second quarter, and things were so bad that the Jaguars were fighting each other on the sideline.
Late in the second quarter, the Jaguars remembered they are the playoff team, had just clinched the AFC South and were still hoping for a firstround bye. They took advantage of the 49ers’ soft defense to pull into a 16-16 tie at halftime.
But in the second half, the 49ers ramped up their game, converting two turnovers into touchdowns and scoring four touchdowns in all.
The most impressive might have been Garoppolo’s sidearm pass to Trent Taylor to give the 49ers a 30-19 lead. Garoppolo said his ability to throw around a defender came from playing baseball in his youth.
“I showed him how to do that,” joked Shanahan. “No, he can make unusual throws from every angle. I joke with him that he’s like a JUGS machine, just sitting there ready to throw at any time, no matter what way his body is.”
This is the happiest 5-10 team you’ve ever seen. The good times started, of course, with the functional structure put in place by general manager John Lynch and Shanahan. But it took the arrival of Garoppolo to make potential improvement become reality.
Think back to almost a year ago. In the 49ers’ final home game, Trent Baalke had been fired but was still in the stadium. Chip Kelly had been rumored to be fired and had to call Jed York the night before to see if he actually would be coaching the final game. The 49ers were a dysfunctional, depressing disaster, just waiting for some competence.
Though Lynch and Shanahan are good at their respective jobs — what a concept! — the savior is Garoppolo. There have been lots of jokes about what Shanahan should give Bill Belichick for the holidays, after getting such a great player for only a second-round pick. However, the meanies have noted that as the Falcons’ offensive coordinator, Shanahan gave Belichick a fabulous gift: Super Bowl 51.
The 49ers did return some of the favor, however. By defeating the Jaguars, the 49ers assured the Patriots a firstround bye.
The turn of fortunes has some in New England wondering if their brilliant team blew it. After all, Tom Brady is 40 and operating without a safety net. Sure, the man drinks blueberry smoothies and bone broth, but the quarterback of the Patriots’ future is now with the 49ers. One wonders what Bill Walsh — who tried to replace Joe Montana when he was still in his prime — would think of Belichick’s decision to trade Garoppolo.
Garoppolo is not only a game-changer; he’s an investment-changer. Suddenly, all those season-ticket holders, who have been so regretting their investment at Levi’s, are feeling a lot better about their decision. There’s a real feeling that the 49ers not only are going to be worth watching, they could be one of the surprises of next season.
Garoppolo’s arrival has accelerated all expectations. The offensive players around him look better, Shanahan’s play-calling can ramp up, the high draft pick can be used on needs other than quarterback.
The 49ers could end up being a trendy pick themselves next year.
Just ask Carlos Hyde.
“There’s a buzz in the air. You can feel it as soon as you walk in the stadium.” Jimmy Garoppolo, 49ers quarterback