The football was in the air, and wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders had seemingly beaten the coverage. With less than two minutes left in Super Bowl LIV, it looked like the San Francisco 49ers would score, retake the lead, and earn the franchise's sixth championship.
The ball sailed just beyond Sanders' grasp.
That play ended up fueling the offseason narrative surrounding Jimmy Garoppolo, who threw the pass. It's what his critics remembered about the quarterback as they pushed him down rankings and discussed a potential marriage between the Niners and Tom Brady.
"The Niners signal-caller led his offense to the highest percentage of explosive pass plays of 20 plus yards (18.8%) last season," wrote Wilcots, "and his 90.9 passing grade on passes thrown at least 20 yards in the air downfield ranked 11th out of 33 qualifiers. Again, his 27.8% negatively graded throw rate on those deep passes was the third-lowest among all quarterbacks with 25 or more attempts."
Wilcots points out that Garoppolo is also efficient on designed rollouts and reverse-play-action passes, which head coach Kyle Shanahan requires within his offense. The Niner quarterback's 82.3 passing grade on designed-rollouts ranked as the fourth-best in the NFL.
"He also finished the season with the fourth-lowest (12.4%) percentage of negatively graded throws while moving out of the pocket," added Wilcots, "and he led all quarterbacks in yards per pass attempt (13.8) on designed-rollout passing plays."
49ers go for speed: Shanahan explains recent wide receiver signings
By David Bonilla
Aug 5
The San Francisco 49ers appear focused on adding speed to their wide receiver group with their recent signings. While it's too early to know if any of these new additions will make the final 53-man roster, the moves suggest a subtle shift in roster philosophy—at least in...
Kyle Shanahan explains 49ers roster moves, provides practice updates
By Site Staff
Aug 4
San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan spoke to reporters on Monday, after the team's 10th practice of training camp. Here is everything he had to say.
Transcript provided by the San Francisco 49ers Communications staff.
Kyle what was the decision to release K Greg...
Kyle Shanahan explains 49ers' surprising roster moves—and the likely end of the kicker competition
By David Bonilla
Aug 4
The San Francisco 49ers made several roster moves on Monday ahead of their 10th training camp practice, with one decision sparking significant buzz among reporters and fans alike. The team released veteran kicker Greg Joseph, who was competing with Jake Moody for the kicking...
49ers vs. Broncos PFF grades: Best and worst from the game, plus snap counts
By David Bonilla
Aug 10
The San Francisco 49ers opened the preseason with a 30-9 loss against the Denver Broncos. Today, Pro Football Focus released its grades and snap counts from the game. Which Niners stood out, and who has more work to do as veterans and young players fight for roster spots on the...
