49ers Cannot Overcome First Half Woes in 30-28 Loss to Packers
Will the real San Francisco 49ers please stand up?
The real 49ers have yet to be seen. This team has been sloppy and slow ever since the midway mark in the fourth-quarter against the Lions.
Slow and sloppy was the theme of the first half of the game until Trey Lance came in to remove the goose egg on the scoreboard. It actually provided a spark that the 49ers would use in the second half.
But it wasn't enough.
The 49ers could not overcome their first half woes in 30-28 loss to the Packers. And now the 49ers' record is 2-1.
This is a crushing loss for the 49ers.
This was a game that the 49ers knew they were not going to be able to heavily run the ball. The running back room is made up of duct tape right now. Jimmy Garoppolo was going to need to be called upon to carry the weight of the offense in some stretches. The issue isn't in Garoppolo's capabilities. He can't just take on the burden to be the driving force of the offense and it was on display against Green Bay.
The worst part is that Kyle Shanahan never used Lance enough. Clearly when he was in there it makes things increasingly difficult on the Packers defense. He cannot just be limited to a redzone threat. His utilization in this game would have came in handy for the 49ers. Yet for whatever reason, Shanahan didn't want to use him despite a patchwork running back room and Garoppolo's limitations.
Win or lose against the Packers, the 49ers emphasized their weaknesses. Take away the middle of the field and force Garoppolo to throw deep or outside the hashes. Load up the box to force the 49ers into throwing situations. Attack their corners quickly and often. While the defensive issues are impossible to correct, it isn't impossible to correct on offense.
The 49ers need to start Lance.
For yet another game, Garoppolo didn't do anything that Lance can't do. In fact, this is a game that Lance would have been the dramatically better option given the state of the running game. Even on the final drive the 49ers had, everything was just drawn up beautifully by Shanahan. It was nothing special Garoppolo did.
How many times did a receiver get drilled due to poor ball placement by Garoppolo? Way too many to count. It is unacceptable for a player of Garoppolo's tenure. He is committing rookie mistakes, which at that point you might as well play your real rookie.
This loss is the first game that will speed up the clock to play Lance.
