The San Francisco 49ers dropped their home opener to the Green Bay Packers Sunday night, falling 30-28, thanks to a last-second field goal by Packers kicker Mason Crosby. The loss dropped the 49ers to 2-1. After the game, social media erupted. Although it was the defense that allowed the Packers to score, many fans (and even some media, local and national) began blaming 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo for the loss, even though Garoppolo had just led the team on a touchdown drive that gave San Francisco the lead with only 37 seconds remaining.
Garoppolo was good at times, and bad in other times. But the same can be said for the defense. They looked effective one series, and lost the next.
Former 49ers safety and current analyst for NBC Sports Bay Area, Donte Whitner, joined Greg Papa and John Lund on KNBR Monday. He let it be known that he believes it's time for the 49ers to give rookie Trey Lance a shot to start at quarterback. Said Whitner, "I think you should go ahead and possibly give him a start. And it's no knock against Garoppolo. He has won two games this year. But the level that this offense can reach with Trey Lance out there is just significantly better than what Jimmy Garoppolo is displaying.
And I don't think that they put fear in any defenses in the league. I don't think that they can go to the Super Bowl and win it with the way that the offense is operating right now. Defenses don't fear Jimmy Garoppolo. They don't fear the 49ers pushing the ball over their head, which in turn, puts your intermediate and under game because guys are sitting on routes. They're daring Jimmy Garoppolo to throw the ball deep."
Whitner's point is a valid one. The 49ers run game has not performed well the past two weeks, and was especially ineffective on Sunday night. Perhaps the threat of Lance getting the ball down the field, along with his being a threat as a runner, would be enough to soften the defense and open things up more offensively.
Whitner added, "And yes, he (Garoppolo) made some passes yesterday, but how many balls did the receivers have to go up, in traffic, with guys draped all over them because they understand that the intermediate and short routes are coming. You can't beat defenses or put fear in them if you're only throwing dink and dunk passes, and you don't have a running game to supplement that.
It's time to open the passes. It's time to get some quarterback runs. It's time to get some movement outside the pocket, some throw-back screens, some deep throw-backs across the field that we saw from Trey Lance to Trent Sherfield in the preseason. Those types of plays put fear in defenses. Those types of plays make defensive coordinators stay up 24 hours at night trying to figure out the 49ers' offense, not what's going on with Garoppolo and the dink and dunk."
During the postgame show for NBC Sports Bay Area, Whitner was quite vocal about the "dink and dunk" offense we saw Sunday night. He expressed frustration over seeing this style of offense in San Francisco for the past 15 years, other than a couple of years with Colin Kaepernick.
Said Whitner, "I'm a true believer in what Trey Lance can do, and they don't have to just squeak these games out anymore. It seems like they have to almost play perfect to win, and they have too much talent to be in that situation. They should be blowing these teams up."
49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan is unlikely to make a change anytime soon. But count Whitner as one of those ready for the change.
You can listen to the entire conversation with Whitner below.