Goodwin is becoming go-to guy
SANTA CLARA >> Marquise Goodwin’s emergence as Jimmy Garoppolo’s go-to guy hit a new level Sunday, and not just with Goodwin’s career-high 10 catches as the 49ers rallied for a 25-23 win over the Tennessee Titans.
Goodwin even saved Garoppolo from having a couple passes intercepted, especially a second-quarter lob that Goodwin came back to snatch from a Titans defender’s hands.
“(Garoppolo) was just like, `Did you catch it?’ I told him, `Yeah I caught it. I’ve got you,’ ” Goodwin said. “He’s a great guy, a great QB, throwing dimes, making plays and extending drives. That’s what you want in a quarterback.”
While that play kept alive the 49ers only touchdown drive, Goodwin again bailed out Garoppolo during a fourth-quarter comeback, keeping cornerback Adoree’ Jackson from thieving Garoppolo’s 22-yard fade pass to the end zone with 4:41 remaining.
Goodwin finished with 114 receiving yards, and he’s totaled 24 catches for 319 yards in Garoppolo’s three starts. The last 49er with 10 receptions in a game was Michael Crabtree in 2014.
“I had a lot going on this year losing my baby (Nov. 12) and I just recently lost my biological father this week,” Goodwin said. “It’s just been a lot, but I really didn’t let the outside negative energy affect how I play, how I approach this game or how I come to work each day.”
Garoppolo praised how hard a worker Goodwin and the other receivers are, and coach Kyle Shanahan noted how well Goodwin’s adapted to becoming a full-time starter (career-high 51 receptions, 897 yards).
“I’ve been real impressed with ’Quise because as you guys can all see in this second half of the year, especially with Pierre (Garçon) down, he’s really taken a lot on his shoulders,” Shanahan said. “… He’s turned into a true pro and he’s playing like a legit starter.”
• Carlos Hyde totaled only 25 yards on 16 carries (1.6-yard average) and especially struggled in the second quarter, when he lost or failed to gain a yard on 6 of 7 carries. The Titans’ barrage of blitzes kept Hyde from breaking any run longer than 8 yards. Matt Breida had 16 yards on five carries.
• Garrett Celek scored his career-high fourth touchdown this season on a 5-yard pass from Garoppolo on third-and-goal. That capped a 17-play, 85-yard drive in which Garoppolo was 9 of 11 for 81 yards. “I know I’ve been primarily a blocker in the past, and to really affect the game more than just in the run phase, it feels great,” said Celek, who finished with three catches for 63 yards, including a 41-yarder in the fourth quarter.