Mullens has something up his sleeve for his start against Giants
Nick Mullens is the 49ers’ starting quarterback again, nearly two years after “Mullens Mania” enlivened a fan base desperate for a sign of hope.
Since then, Mullens has toiled in the superstar shadow of Jimmy Garoppolo, amid the franchise’s transition into Super Bowl contender. It’s no secret what Mullens needed work on most to prepare for this coming scenario, when he starts Sunday in place of an injured Garoppolo and must lead a skeleton crew of 49ers (1-1) past the New York Giants (0-2) at MetLife Stadium.
“It starts with arm strength. That’s the thing everybody is going to criticize but that’s one thing I’ve attacked,” Mullens said Friday. “Playing with the full field, that’s huge to me, and I’m excited to show that on Sunday.”
If there was a visible flaw to Mullens’ 2018 NFL entry as a 3-5 starter, it was his velocity on passes toward the sideline boundaries. His right arm looks stronger, perhaps rivaling that of his grandfather, Ernie Tabor, who pitched professionally for the Phillies in the 1950s.
“He’s got a rocket for an arm. He’s slinging it,” tight end George Kittle said Thursday.
Kittle was Mullens’ prime target in 2018 en route to the most yards ever in a season by a tight end. Kittle won’t be there for Mullens this game, getting ruled out Friday and safely kept off MetLife Stadium’s field, on which four 49ers sustained knee injuries in last Sunday’s 31-13 win over the Jets.
Garoppolo’s early ankle sprain last Sunday sprung Mullens off the bench after halftime, and Garoppolo’s inability to practice this week got him ruled out Friday along with Kittle, running backs Raheem Mostert and Tevin Coleman, defensive end Dee Ford and linebacker Dre Greenlaw.
Coach Kyle Shanahan vowed that it’s Garoppolo’s job again once healthy, and a three-game homestand starts next Sunday night against the Philadelphia Eagles. “When Jimmy’s ready to go, he’ll be out there,” Shanahan said.
There is team-wide confidence in Mullens, partly because of how hard he’s worked to meet Shanahan’s demands, which Mullens described as being “automatic, crisp, professional.” It’s more than having something up his sleeve, so to speak.
“It’s not all just about the arm,” Shanahan said of Mullens’ improvement. “It’s the rhythm within your dropbacks, the rhythm with where you’re going when you’re seeing things.
“When you can have your cleats under you and get your throw out on time, you’re going to get the most out of your arm. The more he is decisive, the more he knows where he’s going, the more he gets out of his arm.”