Garoppolo in limbo of sorts as he prepares to face Bears
CHICAGO >> Growing up 30 miles from Soldier Field, Jimmy Garoppolo occasionally would tag along with his electrician father, Tony, to a side job away from their Arlington Heights home.
The working conditions weren’t always favorable, especially in Chicago’s cold winters.
“That work ethic is not seen every day and I’m glad I got to witness it firsthand,” Garoppolo said. “Anytime you think you’re having a rough day, I always think back to that, and
I’m like, ‘Is it as tough as you think it is?’ ”
This year’s been tough, from the 49ers’ wandering eye (see: Matthew Stafford, Deshaun Watson, Aaron Rodgers) to Kyle Shanahan’s eventual selection of Trey Lance with the high-cost, No. 3 draft pick. Then came the losses, another injury and intense criticism.
Garoppolo, however, will make his 39th start today, four years to the day he got traded to the 49ers and on the same backyard lot, Soldier Field, where he won his 49ers starting debut in December 2017.
As his 49ers’ tenure comes full circle, neither he nor Shanahan is indicating this is also where their marriage ends. No one can say for sure, though.
Asked Friday if a second straight bad game could cost Garoppolo his job, Shanahan said, “I would never answer a question like that. And you guys can ask it a thousand different ways, I don’t think like that.”
Instead, good or bad, he’ll review the film and “you try to make decisions by Wednesday,” which isn’t exactly a vote of long-term confidence, nor is one expected after Shanahan acknowledged Wednesday it’s “a matter of
time” before Lance ascends the throne.
So, hypotheticals rule the day. Speaking of, if Garoppolo didn’t arrive in a Halloween 2018 trade, would Shanahan still be the 49ers’ coach? If the 2019 49ers didn’t blow a Super Bowl lead, would a dynasty be afoot rather than an expiration date upcoming on Garoppolo’s tenure?
Here are the answers as to what must go right today for the 49ers to improve to 27-12 in Garoppolo’s starts: LEADERSHIP POWER >> Losing streaks invite speculation about a leadership void, and defensive end Nick Bosa isn’t disputing that possibility.
“We’re missing (George) Kittle out there with his vocal leadership, and Raheem (Mostert) was a really good vocal leader. Trent (Williams) is another vocal guy,” Bosa said Thursday.
“So it does help to have some guys more vocal and will get on other guys about certain things. But we have to work with what we got and we definitely have enough leaders out there that we should be able to do our job, on offense and defense.”
The 49ers have lacked explosive plays in all three phases this season. Deebo Samuel has been a oneman band on offense, and Bosa his equal on defense.
Neither Samuel nor Bosa is a team captain. That title, instead, is shared by Kittle, Williams, Mostert, Arik Armstead, Jimmie Ward, Fred Warner and Garoppolo. AVOID DEFENSIVE PENALTIES >> The 49ers’ secondary has been vulnerable to deep passes. Against the Colts, defensive backs drew five pass-interference penalties (three accepted for 97 yards).
So, when it comes to a scouting report for the 49ers defense, it’s come to this:
— The Bears have drawn a defensive pass interference penalty on their opponent in five of seven games.
— Allen Robinson was targeted on three of those PI calls, and former 49ers receiver Marquise Goodwin on the other two. “Alan Robinson has always been really good at getting DPIs against him,” Bears coach Matt Nagy said Friday.
— Land Clark, today’s referee, has called only four DPI penalties over six games this season.
— The 49ers must not add to their NFL-high total of 14 DPI penalties, including five from the 30-18 home loss to the Colts.
“It’s way too bad right now,” Shanahan said. “No matter what the situation is, it’s tough to win games if you don’t fix that.” THIRD-DOWN IMPROVEMENT >> The 49ers’ thirddown offense bottomed out last game, converting on only 1 of 11 attempts and sabotaging series after series against the Colts, just as they did in preceding losses to Seattle (2 of 14) and Arizona (3 of 14).
Three of the 49ers’ four turnovers last Sunday came on third down, starting with fumbles by Samuel and Garoppolo before a fourth-quarter interception on a Garoppolo pass to Samuel.
“Being 1-for on third downs doesn’t go away,” offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel said. “You’re thinking about it in bed, you’re thinking about it all the time.”
On third-down runs, the 49ers have been inefficient, going 0 for 8 on carries beyond third-and-1, not counting third-and-7 scrambles.
On third-down passes, the 49ers were 0 for 11 on passes longer than thirdand-10, and just 6 for 24 on third-down passes needing at least 8 yards.
STREET BALL >> Defensive tackle Kentavius Street drew the nickname “Baby Hulk” for his prodigious strength upon joining the 49ers, albeit as a medical redshirt because of a torn ACL prior to the 2018 draft. The 49ers need him to act like a superhero.
With Javon Kinlaw (knee) and Maurice Hurst (calf) out, the 49ers want Street to complement a defensive front that will be attacking rookie quarterback Justin Fields. He, D.J. Jones and perhaps Arik Armstead must pressure the pocket from the interior.
Defensive end Dee Ford and linebacker Azeez AlShaair were downgraded to out on Saturday after not getting cleared through the NFL’s concussion protocol. RUNNING TO VICTORY >> Both teams, with shaky offenses, will look to thrive first on the ground.
For the 49ers, Elijah Mitchell is coming off the second 100-yard game of his rookie season, and team officials not only covet his speed but his ball security. Meanwhile, JaMycal Hasty didn’t fare so well as a third-down back last game, and Trey Sermon didn’t get a chance, at all.
“We’ve got to utilize those guys because that makes our offense go. It always has,” general manager John Lynch told KNBR 680-AM.
Lynch envisioned “explosive runs” in Mitchell’s future. But he also expects Sermon, his third-round pick, to be summoned off the bench.
The Bears can’t protect Fields, so their best shot is to attack a 49ers run defense that just allowed its first 100-yard rusher since 2019. Rookie running back Khalil Herbert has become a fantasy football favorite with his three-game production (272 yards) since replacing the injured David Montgomery and Damien Williams.
OTHER INJURIES >> Jaquiski Tartt (knee bruise) was also put on injured reserve and will be out at least three games.
Defensive end Jordan Willis (six-game suspension served) and defensive tackle Kevin Givens (injured reserve) were activated, as were two from the practice squad, tight end Jordan Matthews and safety Kai Nacua.
The Bears, meanwhile, ruled out coach Matt Nagy because of a positive COVID test Monday that’s kept him away from the team all week. Rookie tackle Larry Borom was activated off injured reserve.