Breaking down Jimmy Garoppolo’s underrated performance during 49ers-Falcons

The San Francisco 49ers dominated the Atlanta Falcons 31-13 Sunday afternoon at Levi's Stadium, and rightfully so, because the Falcons, despite their 6-8 record, have a horrendous -126 point differential, which ranks 28th in the NFL, and is behind the Detroit Lions, who are currently 2-11-1.

Of course, with such an impressive performance, many 49er players shined, including the likes of Fred Warner, who looked like his prime All-Pro self, George Kittle, Jimmie Ward, Jaquiski Tartt, Nick Bosa, Arden Key, Deebo Samuel, and Jeff Wilson Jr.

In fact, the 49ers had such valuable contributions from so many players that one notable piece was underrated Sunday: quarterback James Richard Garoppolo. Of course, we're talking about Jimmy G, who completed 18/23 passes for 235 yards, averaging 10.2 yards per pass, and throwing a touchdown.

When first looking at the numbers, 235 yards doesn't really seem that impressive. But, after the first true offensive drive where Garoppolo chose to throw to Kyle Juszczyk in front of the sticks instead of a wide open George Kittle and Jauan Jennings for a first down, the veteran quarterback settled in and led the 49ers on five straight scoring drives, comfortably putting San Francisco up 31-13 in the third quarter.

Garoppolo's most impressive throw of the day came off of play-action in the 1st quarter, where he progressed off his first read and fired to George Kittle in a tight-window for a 28-yard completion, using his eyes to create separation, but most importantly, making an extremely-accurate throw to put the 49ers in the redzone.

The ball-placement was perfect, with enough touch on the ball to squeeze it by the trio of defenders. And, as the tweet says, Garoppolo made the throw to the only open 49er receiver, which was the correct read.

In all reality, Garoppolo's accuracy was pristine Sunday; perhaps the best it has been all season. Why? Because there was a minimal number of elevated throws, limiting the chances for interceptions, injuries, and missed opportunities.

In fact, Garoppolo had multiple throws on the run that hit his target right in the chest, setting them up for yards after the catch, and helping the offense move the chains.

His mobility was somewhat on display Sunday, which definitely is a good sign, as it shows that Garoppolo not only has trust in his receivers, but also that he's willing to use his legs more often, which hasn't much been the case since his ACL tear in 2018, although it has ramped up a bit this season.

Looking at other throws, while the veteran's throw to Kittle was certainly impressive in that it traveled downfield 20+ yards and was highly accurate, I was just as impressed by Garoppolo's throw to Brandon Aiyuk on a simple slant concept here.

By leading with anticipation, something Garoppolo hasn't consistently done as a quarterback, he adds the extra yardage on this play, and puts the ball in the hands of his receivers to make plays, which is what Kyle Shanahan's offense is all about.

Kyle Shanahan took notice of Garoppolo's tight-window throws, pointing out their difficulty and how many quarterbacks can't make those plays, adding that Jimmy G's improved in that aspect.

"I mean, that's something you always talk about. That's something you're looking for. And when you throw a lot of those balls that he does throw, like the ones in tight windows, that he got a huge play on that. A lot of guys can't make that. That is the risk reward with it. And I think he's been doing a better job at that. I mean, for us to still get explosive plays like that and want go for those all the time. But there is a, a chance when you take those shots that you can throw a pick. And I think he's been getting a lot better at that. Seeing those when we didn't have a chance at it. Thought he did a really good job yesterday when it wasn't there, trying to find a check down which at times are tough to do."

From the words of Shanahan, not only has Garoppolo matured as a quarterback as the season has progressed in terms of decision making, but he's also gained a better rapport with his receivers, helping him make these risk-reward plays easier to break down.

Speaking of underrated aspects, one part of Garoppolo's game that I feel goes somewhat unnoticed is his ability to sell and run play-action plays. Of course, it's been known that Garoppolo's body of work thrives off play-action, but on handoff plays, the ability to sell a pass when it's a run sometimes goes unnoticed.

Look at the first clip in comparison to the second clip. In the second clip, Garoppolo treats the handoff in the same way as the first clip, causing the linebackers to slightly shift to the right, anticipating a run, giving Deebo Samuel an open window in the second level of the defense, and space to run with after the catch. Kyle Shanahan has found a way to exploit this ability for numerous successful play-action plays, as it opens up the middle of the field by making the linebackers suck up towards the line of scrimmage, giving Jimmy Garoppolo the room to work within the area of the field where he most excels.

Heading into Thursday's important matchup against the Tennessee Titans in Nashville, the 49ers needed that dominant performance against a weak team, which it got Sunday, giving them momentum in the most crucial part of the season—December.

Much of Sunday's praise on offense went towards the playmakers, as George Kittle continued his hot streak of amazing performances, Brandon Aiyuk continued to be a major factor in the passing game, Jeff Wilson Jr. reached over 100 yards in the running game, and Deebo Samuel was the usual multi-dimensional weapon. Then, the defense got its fair share of praise, and rightfully so, for three goal-line stands against the Falcons.

In the midst of it all was Garoppolo, and he deserves his praise for the execution he produced on Sunday to keep the offense rolling. If not for two drops by Deebo Samuel and Jauan Jennings on the same drive in the 4th quarter, Jimmy Garoppolo and Co. could have put an end to this game earlier, and perhaps given room for rookies like Trey Lance, Aaron Banks, and Jaylon Moore to get some offensive snaps late in the game.

Now, this is not a "Jimmy Garoppolo is an amazing quarterback" piece, as he obviously has some flaws. But, after performances like Sunday, it's time to sit back and enjoy Garoppolo's play, which lead the 49ers to another victory, rather than find the slight faults that he had in his game.

Still, the biggest test for San Francisco will come Thursday night on a short week, and on the east coast, against a Tennessee Titans team that has lost three of their past four games, but still stands at third in the AFC with a 9-5 record. After that, San Francisco will finish their season at home against the Texans and then in Los Angeles, facing the division-rival Rams in a Week 18 showdown that could potentially have wild-card implications.

If Garoppolo can sustain his play from Sunday during the last stretch of games for the 49ers, San Francisco could be in good shape to compete and extend their two-game winning streak, but it'll be a tough transition on a short week.