Has Jimmy Garoppolo secured his place as the 49ers starting QB after Week 3 performance?
Jimmy Garoppolo has been under plenty of scrutiny throughout his career. Many wonder if he is, in fact, the long-term answer for the San Francisco 49ers.
Those thoughts were exaggerated even more when the 49ers drafted Trey Lance in the 2020 NFL Draft. Lance went on to turn heads throughout the preseason and is often being showcased as a much better prospect than other rookie quarterbacks.
After the 49ers played an intense game, losing to the Green Bay Packers in the final seconds of Sunday night's game, the question remains: is Jimmy Garoppolo the answer at quarterback?
Is Trey Lance a better option than Jimmy Garoppolo?
Jimmy Garoppolo hasn't exactly played badly in the first three weeks of NFL action, but the idea now is should he remain the starter?
The 49ers could very well go the route that the Miami Dolphins took in 2020 when Ryan Fitzpatrick was benched in favor of rookie Tua Tagovailoa. Tua went on to have a 6-3 record last season under center.
Trey Lance may have more upside than Tua. The only way to truly find out would be to bench Garoppolo. The standing rumors are that the 49ers may make that change somewhere in Week 6 or 7 of this season.
The 49ers are currently 2-1 and in third place in the NFC West. Should they lose another game, they may be trailing far behind the undefeated Arizona Cardinals and Los Angeles Rams.
Highest on-target throw % in NFL:
1. Mac Jones 90.9%
2. Baker Mayfield 89.6%
3. Jimmy Garoppolo 88.5%
*min 45 attempts https://t.co/xyAj0XVnt2
Jimmy Garoppolo's stats are decent enough to lend to the idea that he should remain the starter. Garoppolo currently has 257 yards with 2 TDs and 1 INT.
His 64 attempts on 95 attempts give a 67.4% completion percentage. He also has a 101.2 passer rating with these numbers.
Garoppolo's numbers in completion percentage, total yards, and passer rating have him hovering around the middle mark for all active quarterbacks. That could be the reasoning behind the rumors surrounding Trey Lance starting at some point this season.
The issue with Garoppolo is his need or want to throw the ball downfield more than he currently has. Garoppolo's longest pass is for 79 yards, which is quite good. However, his 8 yards per attempt is his total average. It's a stat that most quarterbacks will want to improve upon.
Garoppolo needs to have more confidence in throwing the long ball, or he might not be able to. His mobility could still be in question after a lackluster 2020 campaign due to lingering injuries.
I pulled every throw/run from #49ers Jimmy Garoppolo vs Packers
Full Video: youtu.be/8AUsbq4hhG0 https://t.co/MlKUwVHxrI
There is no telling how good Trey Lance would be in Garoppolo's place, but if the 49ers should lose a couple more games, there could be a drastic change. Lance might be the spark that could reignite the game of the 49ers.
Right now, Garoppolo should stay put as the starter, but that doesn't necessarily mean that Lance should not get his shot at some point this season.
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