Over or Under 3,950.5 Passing Yards for Jimmy Garoppolo in 2020?

Another over/under is here with Jimmy Garoppolo once again as the topic of discussion. It is only fitting that he is the focal point because he's the starting quarterback. In a previous article, I wrote about the over or under for touchdown passes Garoppolo would have in 2020.

This time I’ll be looking specifically at his passing yards.

Last season Garoppolo threw for 3,978 yards. The 49ers’ offense didn’t start taking flight until Halloween night against the Cardinals. Garoppolo would have at least 200 yards per game in all but one game going forward. Prior to Week 8, he would only put up three games with at least 200 passing yards.

Clearly he started to find his comfort zone in the second half of the season. It also helped that the defense started bending significantly more. DraftKings sportsbook has set the over/under for Garoppolo’s passing yards at 3950.5 in 2020.

And just like with his touchdowns, they have disrespected Garoppolo once again.

That is why I am taking the over when it comes to Garoppolo's passing yards in 2020. Getting to and eclipsing 4,000 yards is practically standard for any solid quarterback out there, though I do understand why there may be doubters. The elite performance of the running game and blowouts make it less attractive to throw the ball.

However, 4,000 passing yards in a season is a minimum that Garoppolo can easily reach next season. Setting his over/under for passing yards at 3950.5 is essentially saying he has reached his ceiling, that Garoppolo has no room for improvement or growth.

As I stated in my previous over/under article regarding Garoppolo, this was just his first full season as a starter. But it isn't even about that when it comes to his passing yards.

A lot of those yards will derive from yards after the catch from his wide receivers and running backs. From top to bottom, almost every skill player on the 49ers is capable of doing damage with the ball in his hands.

That plays into Garoppolo's strengths, which is the short and intermediate throws. While he can hit the deep throws, that isn't really where Kyle Shanahan wants to dip into often. The offense is almost like "death by a thousand paper cuts" since the offensive drives drag on to drain the opposing defense.

Electing the over of 3,950.5 passing yards for Garoppolo in 2020 is a no-brainer here. He'll be an improved version of himself entering his second season as the starter and will have an ample supply of weapons that can get him the numbers to push him forward.