Young gives Garoppolo advice for playoff debut
Steve Young was once Jimmy Garoppolo. A darned good quarterback who had not won a postseason game.
That is a no-win situation, as Young discovered. You have this playoff-caliber team at your disposal. The fan base is making res- ervations for the Super Bowl. The national media hyenas are coming out of the corn field. Make us proud, son.
On Thursday, Young dropped in on KNBR. There was only one question to ask.
“What would you say to (Garoppolo)?” Young was asked.
I would tell him that it happens fast,” Young said, “and you’ve got to be super careful. Seasons end really quickly. I remember against the Cowboys (in the NFC championship game after the 1992 season). We throw a touchdown and it gets called back. We started to get bogged down. And before you know, you’re down 10. Now you’re scrambling a little bit and you know that the clock’s running. It’s a do or die situation.”
Sounds fun. Where do we sign up?
It bears noting that Young bore an extra burden when he was Jimmy G. When Young started his first two postseason games, Joe Montana was still on the 49ers’ payroll and in the fans’ hearts. But we digress.
“I would tell him, don’t waste a down,” Young said, referring to Garoppolo. “I’ve seen (49ers head coach) Kyle (Shanahan) install plays and he is a master at creating plays. Jimmy won’t have to adjust for blitzes that can cut the field in half. The reads (won’t be) so complex, so you don’t get yourself in trouble.”
Another aside: When Young finally grew out of Montana’s shadow and led the 49ers to their fifth Super Bowl victory, the innovative offensive brain belonged to coordinator Mike Shanahan, Kyle’s dad.
“See if they can run the football,” Young continued. “Hit George (Kittle), get some momentum. I don’t think that Jimmy needs to overthink it or try to do too much. Quarterbacks, and it’s all personality driven, but for me you don’t want to be desperate. Never.”