It was difficult on the heart at times, but tonight's 24-16 win over the Rams was HUGE for the 49ers, who now have a 3-3 record and are back in the division and playoff races.
1) The offensive line really took care of business
After a number of poor performances in 2020, the offensive line came together and put forth its best performance of the season. Jimmy Garoppolo took zero sacks and only a few pressures/knockdowns at most. Daniel Brunskill probably had the biggest rebound of anyone on the unit as he saw Aaron Donald the most and really held his own against the best defensive player in the league.
"I thought the O-line had a hell of a game. ... The results speak for themselves. They did a hell of a job." -Kyle Shanahan on the #49ers offensive line after #LARvsSF
— Peter Panacy (@PeterPanacy) October 19, 2020
Everyone on the line played well including tight end Ross Dwelley who threw a number of key blocks. This was a grinder and the 49ers won in the trenches thanks to a performance that speaks to the heart of this team.
2) Jimmy Garoppolo bounced back very well
This was, overall, a terrific night for Jimmy Garoppolo. He didn't have to throw deep, but the gameplan was sound, the receivers did their job getting yards after the catch and for the most part, Garoppolo made the throws he needed to make.
That said, that overarching takeaway — if the 49ers win — should be how steady Garoppolo has been even in the face of pressure today. He has been the QB that we saw for most of 2019 and, of course, 2017. https://t.co/AqtzJjyO2V
— David Lombardi (@LombardiHimself) October 19, 2020
Jimmy Garoppolo favored quick, short passes in tonight's win over the Rams, with a significant percentage of his yards coming after the catch.
➤ 2.38 seconds (time to throw)
— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) October 19, 2020
➤ 4.4 air yards/attempt
➤ 226 YAC out of 268 pass yards#LARvsSF | #FTTB pic.twitter.com/K1PtZSmr3c
Yes, there were a few misses, some of which were simply dropped by the receivers, but zero turnovers, more fire behind his throws, and he even had a an important run. The truth is, whether people will admit it or not, Jimmy Garoppolo is a great leader, has a lot of heart, and is a good quarterback. It is only a matter of time before he grows into what we all want him to be.
For now, tonight was a big win and Jimmy Garoppolo was a huge reason the 49ers got the win.
3) The defense balled out
I cannot say enough about this defense. Though extremely short-handed, this unit kept Jared Goff from carving it up and until 4 minutes left in the game, held the Rams to 9 points.
Jason Verrett is the defensive comeback player of the year. He has been huge all season and his drive-crushing interception in the end zone was exactly the kind of play the defense needed. Verrett is starting to look like he did a few years ago when he looked to be developing into a dominant player.
Fred Warner continues to show why he will likely be a first team All-Pro with his ability to make tackles and prevent big plays. Dre Greenlaw was equally as tough as he led the team with 8 tackles. The pass rush was able to get some pressure, but while this is an issue, the unit as a whole was able to provide really good coverage, gave up very few big plays, and was able to get off the field most of the game.
4) This was definitely Kyle Shanahan's best coaching performance of the season
Shanahan coached a great game today. He put Jimmy Garoppolo in the best position possible to succeed, especially given the injury. Getting the ball out quickly and doubling Donald pretty much took Donald out of the game. Switching to JaMycal Hasty after losing Mostert was huge. Hasty has a lot of burst and finishes runs similar to Mostert. It was one of Shanahan's best decisions of the day.
The playcalling was much better, the clock management was very good, and we didn't see anything really questionable.
Where do we go from here?
The 49ers are back in the race, they are getting healthier overall, and have some momentum to build upon. The team showed it still has a lot of championship character and should be a contender if it can survive this rash of injuries and difficult upcoming opponents.
Tonight's injuries included Raheem Mostert (ankle), Jaquiski Tartt (groin), and Ben Garland (calf). Hopefully none of these are severe and others like Richard Sherman will make their way back next week against the New England Patriots. For now, enjoy the win!
