San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo spoke with reporters following the team's 36-26 comeback win over the visiting Arizona Cardinals. Here is everything he had to say.
Transcript provided by the San Francisco 49ers Communications staff.
Jimmy Garoppolo recaps #AZvsSF. https://t.co/qTHvhd88f7
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Just take us through the touchdown pass to RB Jeff Wilson Jr., how you guys have worked on that and the look you saw?
"Yeah, we got a great look, it was zero. The D-end peeled with Jeff. I felt the pressure up the middle and kind of just put it out there and let him just make a play on it. I just heard the crowd erupt, I didn't even see him catch it and knew it was great news after that."
Only two 49ers have ever put up 400 yards and 4 TDs before your performance today: that's QB Steve Young and QB Joe Montana. What does it mean to you personally to be put with those guys?
"Anytime you're in a sentence with those two names, it's always an honor. I've got a long way to go to catch up with those two. They did some great things around here."
What's your frustration level knowing that you threw two red zone interceptions and what was your mindset like knowing you had the opportunity late to win?
"You're thankful that the defense puts us in that situation. The defense played great, battled and just made it hard on those guys all day. I thought guys stepped up in big situations. When guys got their number called, a little banged up, some guys, and they just played through it. Up front, those guys are tremendous and the skill positions were awesome. It was a good team effort today."
What's your confidence level like with WR Deebo Samuel, particularly these last couple weeks while some of your other guys have gone down?
"He's one of those guys you love to have in your foxhole. He just gets banged up out there, keeps coming back, doesn't even question it or anything. He's a fighter, man. You love having guys like that on your team."
Do you see his confidence growing?
"Oh, yeah. Every week and it's not even just his confidence, I think it's just the understanding of the offense. He's becoming more comfortable with it. He's playing at a high level. He's still got a long way to go, but it's just fun to see that."
Other than the two picks, you were throwing a lot of tight window throws. Is that hard knowing that this is a ball that might be deflected like the other one got? Is that anything difficult to work through?
"That's part of being the quarterback, though. You've got to make those tight, quick decisions and live with it after. Obviously, I want the two picks back and they were two bad decisions, bad throws. At the end of the day, you've got to trust your guys and let them go make plays."
Was that throw to WR Richie James Jr. nerve-racking at all, crossing the field like that?
"A little bit, yeah. I mean, there were a couple of those today, but like I said, I have total trust in those guys, the receivers, tight ends, running backs. Those guys earn it throughout the week and so I think we'll just keep gaining that trust as we go. It was good to see that out there today."
What's it like in the huddle before that final play not knowing whether you had the first down or whether you were going fourth down? What's just the situation?
"Yeah, a lot of decision very quickly. Quick decisions have to get made. I thought the coaching staff, [head coach] Kyle [Shanahan], all those guys just did a great job being clear and decisive of what we were going to do, whether it was fourth down or first down in that situation. Obviously happy we got the first down, made it a lot easier, but it was good communication across the board."
How important has TE Ross Dwelley been to this offense, obviously stepping in for FB Kyle Juszczyk when he was out with the knee and obviously now filling in for TE George Kittle? Two of your touchdown passes went to him. How important has he been out there for you guys?
"Yeah, he's kind of the Swiss army knife in our offense right now. He does a little bit of everything, lines up split out at receiver sometimes, so you've got to tip your hat to him. He's had a lot on his plate the last however many weeks just with guys being down. He doesn't even hesitate. He just attacks it, gets the formation and goes out there and performs. When his number is called, he does a great job."
The NFL is more of a passing league these days, but did it make it tougher on you today knowing that you pretty much had to rely on the pass? There wasn't much of a running game today for you guys.
"Our team, you know, we have a good group of guys where it doesn't matter whether it's the run game, pass game, offense, defense, special teams. Whatever it takes to win, that's what we're willing to do. That defense, they're good. They're a good defense. They took away some of the things we wanted to do early and we just had to change some things up as the game went."
I know you're not playing against him, but what were your impressions when you got to watch Cardinals QB Kyler Murray out there? Looked like he was pretty fast on his feet.
"Oh, yeah. I saw the one he kept to our left, I was right at the end there, but he was moving. It's tough on defenders, but he's a hell of a player, man."
After the touchdown, there was a big hug between you and Juszczyk. Was that just because he was there or was it something you were hugging him-
"The last one?
Yeah, the touchdown.
"I would've hugged anyone who was next to me, man. The stadium was on fire today, the fans were going nuts. The energy in that stadium, it's contagious."
There were a few calls before the snap. Did you have a good read what the Cardinals were doing defensively?
"Similar to other games. It wasn't anything out of our norm, but we got a good feel for them going into the second half and played it out from there."
It seemed like everybody was a little more successful in having a short memory today after mistakes. Was there some approach to it this week?
"I wouldn't say it was a huge emphasis, but guys were locked in. I think that the game against Seattle will do us good going forward, just having been put in that tough situation. Things are going to go wrong in these games at some point. It's just how you respond. I thought things weren't going our way early, but guys stayed focused, stayed locked in on the sideline and just went out and did their job."
Kyle Shanahan said that he wanted Jeff Wilson in on that particular play because he's good at that route. What makes him good at that route and is it a lot to see somebody in the game in that situation making his first offensive snap?
"Honestly, we were in the huddle initially and it was [RB] Tevin [Coleman] next to me and then I went to the sideline, was talking to Kyle and came back in and all of a sudden it was Jeff next to me. You've got to tip your hat to him to be ready in that situation. As big of a moment that was. I think it was his first offensive snap and to do that, it's incredible. I'm so happy for him."
Did you notice him in the huddle warming up his legs?
"I mean literally he was right next to me and it was like, 'Oh, alright Jeff's in, not Tevin.' You just have to register it real quickly, but it was a hell of a play."
Kyle said at some point he consciously said to himself we have to scrap the run, this isn't working. Does he communicate that to you or do you just get a sense of the way it's pass, pass, pass, pass?
"I think we all kind of felt the same way throughout the game. Some things were working, some things weren't. Every game is different. Some games we've rushed for 200-plus yards and some games we pass for less yards. It's just how our team is built; you know? It doesn't matter which way we have to win, we will find a way and that's what you like to see."
Seemed like their defensive game plan was to stop run and make, you know, you beat them. Do you welcome that?
"Oh yeah. It was, similar to what they did last time. When you're rushing the ball as good as our offense does, that's what you kind of expect."
