Things weren't going particularly well for either the San Francisco 49ers or Washington Redskins offenses in Week 7 at a rainy, wet FedEx Field on Sunday.
Poor weather conditions hampered both teams' offensive efforts throughout the game, especially through the air, and quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo found himself particularly flustered with the rainy conditions. Those conditions played a role in him going just 12-of-21 for 151 pass yards, zero touchdowns, an interception and a passer rating of just 59.8.
"We knew it was going to be like this," Garoppolo told Fox Sports' Laura Okmin on the sidelines after the game. "That's what our guys did. Up front, we battled. We got the run game going and everything."
San Francisco managed its 9-0 victory, thanks largely to its stout defense shutting down the Redskins offense to 154 net yards. Garoppolo, meanwhile, had a tough time hitting a lot of his targets, especially during what turned out to be a scoreless first half. By halftime, Garoppolo actually had 20 rush yards, compared to only 10 passing.
And he attributed some of the struggles, understandably, to the difficult weather conditions.
"You've got to take it into account, but can't let it get into your head," Garoppolo said of the weather when asked during his postgame presser if it was a factor. "It's just a 'mind over matter' type of thing. I thought we did good out there, though."
Garoppolo managed to find some rhythm in the second half, however, hitting wide receiver Richie James for a key 40-yard catch before then hitting wide receiver Kendrick Bourne for another critical catch. That particular drive would culminate in one of three field goals made by kicker Robbie Gould.
Still, the weather did play trouble with Garoppolo's passing game. At the 12:41 mark of the third quarter and on fourth down, Garoppolo tried to hit wide receiver Dante Pettis. But the underthrown ball sailed into the waiting arms of Redskins safety Troy Apke for an interception:
👀 We see you @Traps_5 #SFvsWAS pic.twitter.com/Xdzqg44nZS
— Washington Redskins (@Redskins) October 20, 2019
"I was upset about the interception," Garoppolo continued. "That was is on me."
Garoppolo also admitted the rain made the ball heavier, which could explain the underthrow. At the same time, he noted the team practices for conditions like this.
"You're never too comfortable playing in the sleet and mud," head coach Kyle Shanahan added. "I thought [Jimmy] made some big throws when he had to. I know he wants to take that interception back, just not holding the safety enough. But he also made some big plays scrambling with his legs."
Garoppolo might have not had his finest game, and the weather was a factor. But Shanahan's assessment about his quarterback making enough key plays to help the 49ers come away with the win is correct.
A strong defense sure helped, too.
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Written by:Peter Panacy has been writing about the 49ers since 2011 for outlets like Bleacher Report, Niner Noise, 49ers Webzone, and is occasionally heard as a guest on San Francisco's 95.7 FM The Game and the Niners' flagship station, KNBR 680. Feel free to follow him, or direct any inquiries to his Twitter account.
