Garoppolo: Quarterback was on brink of joining likes of Young, Montana.
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Jimmy Garoppolo played efficiently if unspectacularly most of the game. He stood on the brink of joining Joe Montana and Steve Young in 49ers lore as the only quarterbacks to guide San Francisco to a Super Bowl championship.
And then, suddenly and startlingly, it all unraveled.
Garoppolo couldn’t summon any Montana magic in the fourth quarter Sunday, after the 49ers squandered a 2010 lead. The Chiefs surged ahead and ultimately won 3120 in Super Bowl LIV at Hard Rock Stadium.
That’s the same venue (different name) where
Montana memorably led the 49ers on a dramatic touchdown drive to beat Cincinnati in January 1989. Garoppolo had his chance, in similar circumstances: The 49ers took possession at their 15yard line, trailing 2420 with 2:39 left.
But much like the offense’s previous two possessions — which both went nowhere and ended with punts — the 49ers sputtered. They moved into Kansas City territory before Garoppolo threw three consecutive incompletions and then was sacked on 4thand10.
The Chiefs scored a late touchdown to cement their first Super Bowl championship in 50 years. Garoppolo was left pondering how his team’s chance at its first title in 25 years abruptly vanished.
“We missed some shots tonight, some plays we usually make,” he said. “That was a tough one.”
Fair or not, the ending will fuel skepticism about Garoppolo’s chops as a franchise quarterback. He was barely a factor in the 49ers’ first two playoff games, as they leaned on their running game in dismissing Minnesota and Green Bay.
Even if Garoppolo was sensational at times this season (think one win over New Orleans and two over Arizona), even if he completed 14 of his first 16 attempts Sunday, even if the Chiefs cranked up their pass rush in the fourth quarter — he still looked profoundly ordinary when the Super Bowl teetered in doubt. On San Francisco’s final three possessions, Garoppolo was 2for9 for 24 yards and one interception.
His teammates insisted they had faith in Garoppolo as they took the field for the late drive, needing to travel 85 yards to duplicate Montana’s triumphant march 31 years earlier.
“Very confident,” offensive tackle Mike McGlinchey said in a quiet 49ers locker room. “We had all the confidence in the world in No. 10 (Garoppolo), the rest of this offense and Kyle Shanahan. Unfortunately, tonight didn’t go our way, but we’ll get better from this, for sure.”
Shanahan, asked about Garoppolo’s performance, said, “I think there were some good things . ... I thought he played all right.”
Garoppolo finished with 20 completions in 31 attempts, for 219 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. That included a foolish, wobbly, secondquarter interception, but the 49ers eventually and briefly found their groove on offense, with Garoppolo spreading the ball around to eight different receivers.
He seemed ready to take his spot alongside Montana and Young in the pantheon of a proud franchise … before a nightmarish fourth quarter changed everything.
“It was a hell of a ride,” Garoppolo said, “but at the end of the day, people just remember the wins and losses.”
Ron Kroichick is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: rkroichick@ sfchronicle.com Twitter: @ronkroichick