Sanders, who was acquired earlier this week in a trade with the Denver Broncos, caught quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo's first pass of the game, then managed to get in the end zone for the Niners' first score -- a 4-yard pass from Garoppolo, which put San Francisco up 7-0 in what turned into a 51-13 rout of the now-4-3 Panthers:
Sanders would finish the day with four catches for 25 yards, but his presence extended far beyond that of the stat sheet.
"He's pretty good," tight end George Kittle told reporters after the one-sided victory. "I mean, he's established. He knows how to win. He's a great players. You don't have to coach him, just have to get him to know what our offense is about. I think he did a fantastic job."
According to Garoppolo, Sanders was able to make his adjustments very quicly and was instrumental in helping San Francisco's passing attack succeed against Carolina.
"Having a guy like that, a savvy vet like he is, it makes you comfortable as a quarterback," Garoppolo said after the game. "To have him, we had a great day today, and it will only get better from here."
Sanders benefited from operating in a similar offense with the Broncos prior to his trade to San Francisco. Denver's offensive coordinator, Rich Scangarello, served as the 49ers quarterbacks coach before taking his current position under now-Broncos head coach Vic Fangio. So while the terminology is a bit different, many of the concepts are the exact same.
And Garoppolo said Sanders was quick to learn, too.
"He caught on very quickly," Garoppolo continued. "For a guy who has been here only a couple of days, to get as much playing time as he did today, and really have no hiccups or anything like that. It's impressive."
Sanders endeared himself to 49ers fans on Sunday, and probably a bit more after the Niners took home their seventh win of the season, too:
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.
All articles by Peter Panacy
Peter Panacy
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.
All articles by Peter Panacy
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