The San Francisco 49ers put together a complete performance on Sunday night en route to a convincing win over the Green Bay Packers, and Jimmy Garoppolo had another efficient effort. Richard Sherman said that is what the Niners have seen all season from their quarterback, and he is tired of Garoppolo not getting the credit he deserves.
After Garoppolo completed 14-of-20 passes for 253 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions, Sherman couldn’t say enough positive things about his teammate.
“Jimmy Garoppolo is our leader and we will follow him into the darkest of dark.”
Richard Sherman says the Niners have an obligation to fight for Jimmy G. pic.twitter.com/BphHoq7M4B
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) November 25, 2019
“You have people nitpicking,” Sherman said. “We run for 300 yards and they’re like, ‘Well, he didn’t throw a lot.’ We ran for 300 yards! Then he throws for 400 and they’re like, ‘Well, I think he got outplayed by Kyler Murray,’ and Kyler Murray barely had 100 yards passing.
“You start to laugh at these things, but the goal posts keep moving with him.”
Sherman added that Garoppolo should feel flattered that he is a good enough quarterback where people try to make excuses when he plays well. He has a point, but a lot of that has to do with Garoppolo having some performances that leave you scratching your head.
Garoppolo’s season numbers — 2,731 passing yards, 20 touchdowns, 10 interceptions and 100.6 passer rating — are solid, but he has thrown a pick in all but three games this year. He’s also had four games with less than 200 yards passing, so some people simply don’t know what to make of him yet. However, Sherman is right that the 49ers don’t need Garoppolo to do a lot some weeks, and their 10-1 record says it all.
We know of another quarterback who isn’t playing well this year despite his team’s outstanding record, and no one would debate that player’s Hall of Fame credentials. It’s far too early to say if Garoppolo is headed down the same path, but he appears to be a tremendous fit in San Francisco at the moment.
