Six weeks after getting traded from New England to San Francisco, Jimmy Garoppolo is running the 49ers’ offense like a seasoned veteran.
Sunday’s win over the Titans was just the fifth start of Garoppolo’s career, and yet he was in complete command both on the sideline and on the field, as revealed by an NFL Films video showing Garoppolo leadership with coaches and teammates in the closing moments of the game.
San Francisco led 22-20 with three minutes left in the fourth quarter, but the Titans had the ball and were driving toward a go-ahead field goal. It was Garoppolo who made sure everyone on the 49ers’ sideline was on the same page about what they were going to need to do if the Titans took a late lead.
First Garoppolo asked the 49ers’ coaches to review with him what their calls would be during the two-minute drill.
After that, Garoppolo went to the 49ers’ receivers and told them what to be looking for from the Titans’ safeties to determine how deep to run their routes.
Finally, Garoppolo approached 49ers kicker Robbie Gould to ask him where the offense needed to get the ball to make him feel comfortable that he was in field goal range.
Gould told Garoppolo he needed the offense to get the ball at least to the 37-yard line, which would be a 55-yard field goal. Garoppolo marched the 49ers down to the 28, and Gould nailed the game-winning 45-yard field goal as time expired.
“It was a good two-minute drill,” Garoppolo said after the game. “We’re a young team, we’re learning how to win, and I think these close games will pay off in the long run.”
The 49ers’ decision to give up a second-round pick for Garoppolo just before the trade deadline is already paying off. They were 1-10 when Garoppolo entered the starting lineup and are now 3-0 with Garoppolo as their starter.