Nothing about quarterback C.J. Beathard's preseason statistics jump out at you. He completed 60 percent of his passes for 346 yards with an interception and no touchdowns in three appearances. Head coach Kyle Shanahan doesn't merely look at statistics when accessing a player's abilities, and he warns an often critical media (and maybe the fans too) to do the same.
Shanahan has a lot of confidence in Beathard's ability to lead the 49ers going forward. The young quarterback will replace Jimmy Garoppolo, who was officially placed on injured reserve on Wednesday after suffering a torn ACL against the Kansas City Chiefs, as the starter. Shanahan explained why Beathard's preseason performance doesn't necessarily paint the whole picture.
"I don't like to sit and make excuses for guys, but I was happy with how C.J. was in the preseason," Shanahan told reporters on Wednesday. "I get why everyone else felt that way in the games. His stats weren't very good. He didn't get the best opportunities. Of course, he's got to take some responsibility for that, but I was never bothered.
"He had a great training camp in practices. The plays that he did have in the game, I didn't think he had a ton of opportunities. Sometimes it just goes that way."
Beathard was also pleased with his preseason performance and growth in his second season as an NFL quarterback.
"I just felt a lot more comfortable," Beathard said. "Obviously, there were plays that I missed (and) I wish I had back, but I said a while back, I think for the most part, the ball was going to the right spot most of the time."
Beathard has the confidence of his teammates as well. Former Iowa teammate and current 49ers teammate George Kittle briefly spoke to reporters in the locker room before Wednesday's practice.
"In my experience, he's a baller," Kittle said of Beathard. "All he cares about is football, really, other than his family, so he's spent so much time on it. He knows everything he needs to know at quarterback. It's just who he is, and it's awesome to have a quarterback like that who is 100 percent invested. It's pretty easy to get behind him."
There seems to be a preseason star every year. That player who wows fans primarily against backups and looks like a lock to make the team — and then shockingly doesn't. Does anybody remember Marcus Rush, who led the league in preseason sacks with six in 2016?
"It happens a lot," Shanahan said. "Some years there will be a receiver who has unbelievable stats and then no one can believe why he doesn't make the team. It's just because he had great stats and it worked out for him, and it doesn't look like that in practice every day. Then sometimes a guy has no stats, and everyone can't figure out why he made it, and it's because what he shows every day in practice.
"Games don't always tell the whole story. I know that's what we're judged off of, and those are the results, but football isn't a one-on-one game. You've got to assess every single play and what's going on."
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