Quarterback holds hopes for 49ers’ resurgence
After tearing an ACL early in the 2018 season, Jimmy Garoppolo is still trying to prove he’s the rising star who closed the 2017 season.
Can quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo make the leap?
Garoppolo’s start to the 2018 campaign wasn’t quite on par with his strong finish in the final five games of the 2017 season. His 2018 was cut short by a torn ACL in Week 3, but in his three games he completed 59.6% of his throws with five touchdowns and three interceptions. That won’t cut it over a 16-game season.
Matt Ryan took a year to get fully acclimated to Kyle Shanahan’s offense, and Garoppolo has now had eight starts and two full offseasons to pick up the intricacies of the scheme. It’ll be a long year for the 49ers if he struggles out of the gate again, and a rocky 2019 season could lead to some quarterback questions in San Francisco.
Most of the 49ers’ issues on the offensive side came down to an inability to score in the red zone and an inability to limit turnovers. They had the worst red-zone touchdown rate in the NFL while giving away 32 turnovers. A healthy Garoppolo who takes a big step in his third year with Shanahan should alleviate both of those problems and single-handedly turn around the 49ers’ offense.
Can the defense generate turnovers?
The 49ers managed just seven takeaways on defense last year and set a record for futility in the interception category with two, the fewest for a team over a full NFL season.
Part of the problem was injuries in the secondary, but the larger issue was their inability to affect quarterbacks. Their pass rush, especially off the edge, was non-existent for most of last season. Quarterbacks were allowed time to sit in a clean pocket and pick the secondary apart.
Getting pressure on the opposing passer should allow more errant and mistimed throws and lead to more interceptions. Improving in the takeaway category could alone add two or three wins to the 49ers’ total.
Who else can catch passes besides George Kittle?
Kittle set an NFL record for tight ends with 1,377 receiving yards last season. The problem is he accounted for 35.6% of the team’s receiving yards.
Wide receiver Kendrick Bourne had the second-highest total on the team with 487 yards. San Francisco badly needs playmakers to supplement Kittle.
The 49ers drafted South Carolina wideout Deebo Samuel in the second round, and then scooped up another receiver in Baylor’s Jalen Hurd in the third round. Dante Pettis, a 2018 second-round pick, was good as a rookie when healthy.
Hurd might go down as the steal of the draft. He racked up 2,844 yards and 23 touchdowns on the ground with Tennessee and Baylor. He also caught 136 balls for 1,438 yards and 10 touchdowns.
His transfer from Tennessee to Baylor at the end of his third year with the Volunteers was driven in part because of his desire to play wide receiver instead of running back.
In a recent interview with The Athletic, Baylor head coach Matt Rhule had several examples of Hurd finding extra time after practice to try to improve as a receiver. If Hurd can line up wide and beat corners with his route running, he might already be a nightmare for defenses.