Nick Mullens and the Jimmy Gimmes

I’d like to introduce a new phrase to the 49ers lexicon:

“Jimmy Gimmes.”

Jimmy Gimmes are the easy passes head coach Kyle Shanahan puts in the game plan every week for Jimmy Garoppolo when he’s healthy enough to play. Jimmy Gimmes are shovel passes, screens. Throws that travel mere inches forward, or go backward.

Jimmy Gimmes have propped up Garoppolo and made him successful in Santa Clara. Shanahan has a million different layups for Garoppolo. But not for Nick Mullens.

Shanahan makes Mullens throw the ball down the field. And to be fair, Mullens is good throwing downfield. This season, on passes that have traveled at least 15 yards beyond the line of scrimmage, Mullens has completed 14 of 23 attempts, thrown one touchdown pass and zero interceptions, while Garoppolo has completed just 5 of 18 attempts, thrown zero touchdowns and a whopping four picks.

If Shanahan made Garoppolo throw downfield as frequently as he makes Mullens throw downfield, Garoppolo’s numbers would be awful.

And if Shanahan gave Mullens more Jimmy Gimmes, Mullens might win more often. Against the Packers, Shanahan called only one shovel pass, and waited until 1:15 left in the third quarter when the 49ers were down 28 points to call his first screen pass.

How come Jimmy gets all the gimmes? Shouldn’t the backup quarterback get some as well, especially when all the wide receivers are injured or out for other reasons? Can’t Mullens throw shovel passes and backward passes, too?

Inquiring minds long to know.