San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo had a pretty good bounce-back game against the Los Angeles Rams after an embarrassingly poor two quarters of play a week earlier. The 49ers passer finished the game 23-of-33 for 268 yards with three touchdowns.
Each of those scores, by the way, was hauled in by three different players. In fact, Garoppolo did a good job of getting everyone involved in the passing game. Eight different players caught at least one pass, with All-Pro tight end George Kittle leading the way with seven receptions for 109 yards and a score.
Garoppolo's performance was enough to impress Peter King of NBC Sports, who named the 49ers quarterback among his Offensive Players of the Week.
"For a slumping and gimpy Garoppolo, Sunday night's triumph over the Rams was vital," wrote King in his latest Football Morning in America article. "In the first half, he connected with the three pass-catchers who are supposed to be the Niners' long-term cornerstones for a premier offense: a six-yard scoring play to fleet Deebo Samuel, a 44-yard TD to franchise tight end George Kittle, and a two-yard score to the star of the future, Brandon Aiyuk. Garoppolo finished 23 of 33 for 268, with the three TDs and no picks, a comforting 124.3 rating."
King also notes that Garoppolo didn't throw an interception, nor did the 49ers have any turnovers.
Another key to the 24-16 victory was keeping All-World defensive tackle Aaron Donald in check. While he had three total pressures and a quarterback hit, according to Pro Football Focus, the defender was limited to just two tackles and, more importantly, no sacks. San Francisco essentially shut down Donald for most of the night.
Sunday night's performance by the 49ers was a good one, especially considering the team has been plagued by injuries this season.
"Kyle Shanahan knows what ails his team," adds King, "and knows how to game plan when he has some disadvantages. Great coaches knows there's a way to win every game, despite the zits your own team might have due to injuries or whatever. Shanahan and his staff coached a smart game."
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