Niners Gave Garoppolo Great Protection Against Bears

The unsung heroes of Sunday's 49ers victory over the Bears were the blockers up front who protected new starting quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo.Garoppolo had a terrific game in leading his team to a 15-14 victory over Chicago. And, he showed he could move well in the pocket to escape pressure and buy extra time to complete throws downfield. But also evident was the improved pass-blocking efficiency of the offensive line Sunday."With right tackle Trent Brown returning from a shoulder injury, Garoppolo got solid protection for most of the day," wrote Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com. "He was hit just five times, including two sacks, but he rarely had defenders in his face."Wagoner noted the Bears were among the NFL's top 10 defenses in putting pressure on opposing quarterbacks, yet Garoppolo had a clean pocket on most of his dropbacks. In fact, Garoppolo had a 95.7 passer rating when he was not pressured Sunday.The analytic website Pro Football Focus noted three offensive linemen graded particularly high in the win: center Daniel Kilgore, Brown and left tackle Joe Staley. Staley, in fact, was rated as one of the top 10 offensive performers in the NFL this week."Keeping his new quarterback...