Think about everything that went wrong for the 49ers on Sunday. First, the offense didn’t score until their fifth possession after punting four times and throwing an interception. Meanwhile, the Packers scored on three of its first five possessions to make it a 17-7 score.
It took a kick return from a player the Niners signed off the streets to kick start their offense. Things were that bad at first.
San Francisco scored a touchdown on four of its final six possessions. They looked like the offense we expected coming into the game as Jimmy Garoppoolo gave his wide receivers opportunities to make plays, and boy did they ever.
You can’t dig yourself a hole that deep, but there was plenty of reasons to be optimistic in this game, despite the loss.
It took Aaron Rodgers going god-mode on four or five throws, and San Francisco still had the lead in the game with 37 seconds left after erasing a 17-point deficit. Then, the defense buckled down, and the offense woke up.
Speaking of the offense, the running game has been AWOL. Check out every carry from Trey Sermon:
That’s frustrating to watch as you could argue there’s a missed assignment or blown block on six out of ten plays. Still, the offense came alive despite not having a running game.
During today’s episode of the Shanaplan, Akash and I talked about how the offense must get off to quicker starts now that the competition has stiffened. This tweet from Akash won’t make many fans happy:
#49ers‘ Jimmy Garoppolo in 1st quarters this season:
* EPA + CPOE composite: 31st
* Success Rate: 32nd
* CPOE: 32nd
* Air Yards: 29thWhile he’s played better when his back’s against the wall, Garoppolo’s gotten off to brutal starts in first quarters this season..
— Akash Anavarathan (@akashanav) September 29, 2021
We ended the episode asking about Kyle Shanahan and why he continues to make boneheaded decisions on fourth down or with the clock. Too often, Shanahan’s traditional style of thinking comes back to bite the 49ers.
For that and more, check out the podcast below:
Other topics include:
- Why is offense so hard this season?
- How Kyle Shanahan was outreached
- Why this game was the best AND worst of Jimmy Garoppolo
- Why the defense wasn’t nearly as bad as they looked
- Richard Sherman to Tampa Bay and the 49ers options at CB
- What happens in Week 4 against the Seahawks