Jimmy Garoppolo's Miscues Cost 49ers vs. Titans
The 49ers missed a big opportunity in Tennessee
On Thursday Night against the Titans, we saw exactly what the 49ers’ frustrations are with Jimmy Garoppolo. He’s a good quarterback capable of effectively running Kyle Shanahan’s offense. But he doesn’t add enough value above and beyond Shanahan’s scheme and design, and his negative plays can be costly.
The 49ers’ loss to the Titans was one giant missed opportunity. They were in total control through the first 30 minutes but only took a 10-0 lead into the locker room at halftime. That was largely due to Garoppolo’s miscues.
Leading 7-0 in the first quarter, San Francisco had the chance to take over the game. Shanahan dialed up a play meant to isolate tight end George Kittle (6’4”) on a smaller cornerback, Janoris Jenkins (5’10”):
The route combination created the desired match up. Kittle was running what appeared to be a 7-stop route (A corner route, but instead of running to the corner the receiver stops and turns around):
But Jenkins wasn’t biting on the route. Instead, he was squatting, not concerned with Kittle running past him to the back of the end zone. This was evident early in the route: