Garoppolo Back on Winning Track !
San Francisco 49ers rally past Cardinals 36-26
San Francisco 49ers starting quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo (10) throws against the Arizona Cardinals in the second quarter at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., on Sunday, Nov. 17, 2019. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
2019.11.17 – The 49ers quarterback played the only way he knows and that’s all in. Jimmy Garoppolo threw 4 touchdown passes to get back on the winning track and the San Francisco 49ers rally past the Arizona Cardinals for a 36-26 victory at Levi’s Stadium.
The key play for the go-ahead score came one play after the Niners (9-1) narrowly converted on a third-and-3 pass that went to replay review. Instead of being ruled short and facing a fourth-down decision in a three-point game, San Francisco had a new set of downs.
Garoppolo doesn’t get startled, even after he’s thrown two huge second-half interceptions and then rallied the 49ers within striking distance, and even when he’s in the huddle and very much surprised to see who’s next to him.
That wasn’t starting running back Tevin Coleman. That was … rarely used Jeff Wilson in his first snap of the day. During a long pause for a replay review and moments before Kyle Shanahan dialed up the play to send Wilson over the middle for the game-winning 25-yard touchdown pass.
“Literally, he was right next to me and I turned and it was like, ‘Oh, all right, Jeff’s in, not Tevin,’” Garoppolo said. “It was a helluva play, man.”
Wilson entered for his first offensive play of the game and beat edge rusher Chandler Jones, who peeled off on a blitz for his first career touchdown catch.
“I knew he was one of the better guys on their defense, but I also knew he was a defensive end,” Wilson said. “I knew his hips weren’t that good. He can’t move side to side, especially when his whole body is turned. It’s just a simple one step, cut across his face and get the ball. Whatever happens after happens.”
It was just your typical madcap 49ers ending at Levi’s Stadium, really, with the offensive line picking up Arizona’s full-out blitz and Garoppolo getting smashed just as he floated a pass to Wilson, who had raced from the backfield into the wide-open middle of the field to score with 31 seconds left to put the 49ers ahead.
2019.11.17 – San Francisco 49ers vs. Arizona Cardinals (Video)
San Francisco 49ers running back Jeff Wilson Jr. (30) celebrates after scoring against the Arizona Cardinals during the second half of an NFL football game in Santa Clara, Calif., Sunday, Nov. 17, 2019. (AP Photo/John Hefti)
2019.11.17 – San Francisco 49ers vs. Arizona Cardinals (Video)
David Johnson fumbled on the next play for the Cardinals (3-7-1), who squandered the lead and lost their fourth straight game. San Francisco added a fumble recovery for a touchdown by D.J. Reed on the final play after a botched lateral by Arizona.
After the 49ers surged back from a 16-0 early deficit on Sunday, still with the best record in the NFC and about to face their toughest gauntlet of the season — hosting 8-2 Green Bay on Sunday and then traveling to Baltimore and New Orleans (both currently 8-2) in the next two weeks. They’ll need Garoppolo playing at his highest level.
On Sunday, Garoppolo was 34 of 45 for a career-high 424 yards and four touchdowns — joining Joe Montana and Steve Young as the only 49ers QBs to throw for 400+ with four TDs in a game. And, as with Montana and Young, this one wasn’t just about accumulating numbers. This was about the 49ers needing every one of those yards and every ounce of Garoppolo’s audacity to get him back on the winning track.
“The situation’s never too big for ’em,” Richard Sherman said of his teammates before circling one player especially. “I mean, this is arguably Jimmy’s best game and he carried us down the stretch. He made plays. I think he threw for over 400. …
“He shows tremendous resolve. I think the view of him from the outside world is much different than the view we have in here. … We believe wholeheartedly that he’s going to get the job done, he’s going to score touchdowns on those drives. … He can be one of the best out there.”
But Garoppolo also threw two interceptions deep in Arizona territory that nearly doomed the 49ers. The first set up a field goal that put Arizona up 19-17 and the second came with San Francisco trailing by three late in the fourth quarter.
The defense responded by forcing a three-and-out on a sack by Arik Armstead. Garoppolo then went 6 of 7 for 58 yards on the winning drive.
“Jimmy’s confidence never wavers,” fullback Kyle Juszczyk said. “It’s been like that all year. Any time he’s made a mistake there’s no letup on him. Everybody has all the confidence in the world in him and he always just does a good job of showing that confidence when he’s in the huddle.”
2019.11.17 – Press: Garoppolo Comeback Win vs Arizona Cardinals (Video)
2019.11.17 – Press: Garoppolo Comeback Win vs Arizona Cardinals (Video)
One of Garoppolo’s interception, late in the fourth quarter, came on a high pass that tight end Ross Dwelley reached up and tipped to an Arizona defender. On the next series, after the 49ers defense forced an Arizona three-and-out, Garoppolo went 6 for 7, culminating in the winning TD to Wilson.
“I mean, that’s part of being a quarterback, though,” Garoppolo said when asked if it’s hard to come back and throw tight-window passes after key interceptions. “You’ve gotta make those tight, quick decisions and, you know, live with it after. Obviously, I want the two picks back. Two bad decisions. Bad throws. But at the end of the day, you’ve gotta trust your guys and let ’em go make plays.”
As 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan made sure to point out, both of Garoppolo’s interceptions came on third down when he was trying to force the ball downfield. Because, at some point, he had to. Then he had to live with it.
“I think that was the first time I consciously got away from (the run game) in the second half,” Shanahan said. “When you do that, you put a lot of pressure on the quarterback. You know Jimmy, you give him a lot of opportunities, he’s going to get the stats and stuff and get some yards, because he’s that good of a player. But it makes it hard not to turn it over, too. That’s something we haven’t put him in this year. We had to there. We had no choice.
“He did a helluva job. Really played unbelievable.”
His teammates understand. Maybe it’s time everybody else understood it, too. The 49ers are good enough and balanced enough that they don’t need Garoppolo to take ridiculous risks in most games. But against the best teams and in the closest games, they want him to feel free to let it rip.
2019.11.17 – Press: Shanahan ‘Guys were Resilient’ vs Cardinals (Video)
2019.11.17 – Press: Shanahan ‘Guys were Resilient’ vs Cardinals (Video)
Cardinals first draft quarterback Kyler Murray threw two TD passes and put Arizona ahead 26-23 on a 22-yard keeper with 6:30 to play but it wasn’t enough to beat the 49ers.
“Honestly, everything we had was there,” Murray said. “We shot ourselves in the foot a couple of times. At the end of the day, we had our chance to win the game. We just did not put them away. They’re a good team. When you play good teams, you cannot do that.”
The Cardinals scored on their first two drives to take a 9-0 lead when Murray found Larry Fitzgerald all alone for a 5-yard score that was his 19th career touchdown against San Francisco.
Arizona added to the lead in the second quarter on a 5-yard TD pass from Murray to Pharoh Cooper before the Niners mostly abandoned an ineffective running game to get back into the contest thanks to a series of underneath passes.
UNDRAFTED GEMS
All four 49ers touchdown catches came from undrafted players. Backup tight end Ross Dwelley had two playing for the injured George Kittle, Kendrick Bourne added one in the fourth quarter and Wilson had the game-winner. It was just the 10th time since the merger that a team got four TD catches from undrafted players in a single game.
INJURIES
49ers DE Dee Ford left in the first half with a hamstring injury.
Related: 49ers undefeated streak is over – Seahawks win in OT thriller
UP NEXT
Cardinals: Week off before hosting the Los Angeles Rams on Dec. 1.
49ers: Host Green Bay on Sunday.
Read more at: San Francisco 49ers Media Services / More AP NFL: www.apnews.com/tag/NFL
JEstevez@EMIsportsCentral.com
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