Jimmy Garoppolo Just Put the Rest of the NFL on Alert With a Frightening Admission That Should Have 49ers Fans Fired Up About the Future

What’s the one thing NFL fans can’t stand? A backup quarterback. But Jimmy Garoppolo isn’t just any QB, and San Francisco 49ers fans might be on to something with their excitement for him. With a fully healthy roster at his disposal, he might just do more than we could have ever expected from this franchise in recent years if they hadn’t traded away so many draft picks and had such poor drafting over the past decade or two.

Jimmy Garoppolo just put the rest of the NFL on alert with a frightening admission that should have 49ers fans fired up about the future. The New England Patriots quarterback said he was 5-foot-11 and weighed 180 pounds, and it’s hard to argue with him.

What a way to deliver a message.

Despite facing a powerhouse Los Angeles Rams squad that just acquired Odell Beckham Jr. and Von Miller to the roster, the San Francisco 49ers made Matthew Stafford and his teammates’ lives a living hell. In fact, it’s difficult to look at Kyle Shanahan’s team’s performance against Sean McVay’s and not be pleased and enthusiastic about the future.

And for everyone who questioned San Francisco’s potential to contend for a Super Bowl victory this season, Jimmy Garoppolo’s post-game revelation should scare the rest of the NFL and energize 49ers supporters for the future.

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By sending Sean McVay’s squad back to Los Angeles with a lopsided defeat, San Francisco made a strong message.

“On Monday night, the @49ers handed the Rams a bloodied lip. For sixty minutes, they shoved the ball into their throats. A game with 44 carries? In the year 2021? This was a declaration. Shanahan has now defeated McVay five times in a row.” pic.twitter.com/lTl74BGzXA — @PSchrags

— November 16, 2021, Good Morning Football (@gmfb)

On Monday Night Football, nobody anticipated the 49ers to beat the Rams.

Nobody expected them to totally destroy a team that was largely considered a major contender for the Super Bowl victory.

Surprisingly, the 49ers had no issue slowing down a high-powered Los Angeles attack, which just added OBJ to the mix. DeMeco Ryans’ squad held the Rams to a season-low 278 total yards by playing a quick, physical style of defense that put Stafford off of rhythm. Most significantly, the 49ers won the turnover fight, intercepting former Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford twice in a 31-10 victory.

In the end, the highly anticipated matchup between the two NFC West rivals didn’t prove to be quite as competitive as expected. The 49ers not only played outstanding defense, but they also dominated the time of possession fight by deploying a run-based offense that forced the Rams to play defense for two-thirds of the game.

The 21-point win drew a lot of attention from throughout the league. And, after his team’s fourth victory of the season, Jimmy Garoppolo made a startling statement that should enrage 49ers supporters.

Jimmy Garoppolo’s frightful admission should have 49ers supporters excited about what’s to come.

In what may be his last season in San Francisco, Jimmy Garoppolo has a chance to lead the 49ers back to the Super Bowl. | Jevone Moore/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

The 49ers have their eyes set on earning a title even though they haven’t played in the Super Bowl in two years. Despite their injury woes, they are still in contention for a postseason spot.

The Rams game gave a preview of the current squad’s terrifying potential for supporters who witnessed their favorite club go 13-3 and come agonizingly close to upsetting Patrick Mahomes for the Lombardi Trophy.

If San Francisco’s performance against Los Angeles wasn’t enough, Garoppolo’s post-game admission should put the rest of the NFL on notice.

The 30-year-old quarterback told reporters, “Honestly, it seemed quite similar to the Super Bowl year.” “That year, it seemed like we ran the ball 30 times every time.” It’s a terrific formula for us if we can accomplish that and be effective on third down.”

The 49ers, of course, surpassed the 30-carry threshold on Monday. Elijah Mitchell, Deebo Samuel, and Jeff Wilson Jr. rushed for 155 yards on 42 carries, controlling the time and wearing down a Rams defense that had given up 113 running yards in their previous two games.

San Francisco supporters should be optimistic about the team’s future prospects. Garoppolo’s comment demonstrates that the offense can still control the tempo by establishing the run and delivering critical passes on third-down situations. The 49ers have multiple skill players who can inflict huge damage, with Samuel blossoming as a real superstar, Mitchell thriving as a ball carrier, and George Kittle rounding into shape.

Furthermore, if 2019 first-round selection Brandon Aiyuk continues to improve (he’s caught 13-of-18 targets since Week 8), Garoppolo will have another weapon to lean on down the road.

Despite a rough start, Kyle Shanahan’s team still has a chance to make a splash in the congested NFC East.

If the 49ers win Jacksonville, it’ll be a clean slate for them. They’d be 5-5 with seven games left to play and 0 games out of a postseason place. https://t.co/tT4o8SVzrc

November 16, 2021 — David Lombardi (@LombardiHimself)

It would be foolish to rule San Francisco out of the postseason chase after Garoppolo publicly said that Monday night’s triumph felt “very similar” to that spectacular 2019 season. In fact, if the 49ers’ performance against the Rams is any indication of what’s to come, the rest of the NFC shouldn’t be shocked if they continue to climb the power rankings.

Despite having a sub.500 record entering Week 10, four of their five defeats were against realistic postseason candidates. Furthermore, they only lost by two points to the Green Bay Packers, and they fell by seven points to the Seattle Seahawks and Arizona Cardinals in back-to-back games.

Is Shanahan’s team capable of getting hot down the stretch?

Absolutely.

It wouldn’t be surprising to see San Francisco end the season as a top-10 offensive if the rushing game continues to be efficient and Garoppolo remains healthy (a huge if). And if Nick Bosa, Fred Warner, and the rest of the defense put out the same effort and energy as they did against the Rams, opponents should struggle to score.

In addition, the 49ers have a favorable schedule. They should be able to take care of business and add three more victories with games against the lowly Jacksonville Jaguars, the struggling Seahawks, and the 1-8 Houston Texans on the horizon. Despite the fact that the Minnesota Vikings, Cincinnati Bengals, and Atlanta Falcons are still in contention for the playoffs, San Francisco could easily win at least two of those games.

Jimmy Garoppolo’s postseason chances may come down to what happens in the last game of the regular season, which seems fitting. And if the 49ers follow the same approach against the Rams in Week 18, they might be on their way to a Wild Card spot.

Pro Football Reference provided all statistics.

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