How Jimmy Garoppolo can Bounce Back in Week 2 Against Jets
Jimmy Garoppolo's performance in the 49ers' 24-20 Week 1 loss was subpar at best.
What looked like business as usual for him when the 49ers went up 10-0 turned into an atrocity.
So how does Garoppolo bounce back in Week 2 against the Jets?
Well for starters, he needs to stop thinking too much. The reason he is thinking too much is because of the instructions Kyle Shanahan gives him when he calls in a play over the radio. You can easily see how much he is overthinking it once his first read is not there.
That is something Garoppolo needs to improve on. He even admitted it at his presser on Wednesday about being "decisive".
“I think there's obviously good and bad from watching the film," Garoppolo said, "but just being decisive, getting the ball out on time. I think those are two big things that will go a long way, but just like I said after the game, too, but just being more consistent as an offense. Each drive going out there and executing.”
But it is more than just being decisive.
Garoppolo cannot use Shanahan as a crutch on every single play. There are times in the game where he just needs to play. Stop thinking so hard about what Shanahan is telling him and let the ball fly. If he sees or thinks a receiver is going to be open, then he needs to act on it. Stop being a "yes man" to Shanahan's play calling, especially when it is suspect like it was in Week 1.
Too many times I noticed on the all-22 film against Cardinals, the 49ers receivers were wide open. Dante Pettis was abusing his defender for a good portion of the game. And while some may believe it is a disconnect between the two, I would argue that is more of a disconnect with Pettis and Shanahan since Shanahan is the one calling plays.
Garoppolo is just there to execute it to the fullest, which the game plan didn't even involve the receivers much. That right there is when Garoppolo should have started deviating from it. He left a ton of easy completions on the table.
Shanahan's plays are never going to be flawless.
Just look at their loss on Sunday. The only real sweet play he called was the wheel route to Kyle Juszczyk. Other than that, there wasn't much that caused Arizona's defense to worry about.
Garoppolo needs to be more decisive, stop overthinking it and pickup his head to see the whole field. He's got the talent to take on a heavier burden of the offense, but until he learns to deviate away from Shanahan at times, then he is just going to be another Jared Goff.
Luckily for him, Sunday's matchup with the Jets is the perfect game for him to rebound and start hitting his stride. George Kittle will not be out there, rightfully so, but the offense will be just fine without him. The Jets are not some elite defense that demands the full strength of the 49ers' offense.
Garoppolo should be able to pick apart the Jets.
And if not, then there will be massive concern going forward with him.
