Would San Francisco 49ers' fate have been different had Jimmy Garoppolo started instead of Brock Purdy in the NFC Championship game?
The San Francisco 49ers overcame many injuries at the quarterback position in 2022. Still, they were one game away from the Super Bowl. Looking back on Sunday's tough loss against the Philadelphia Eagles, did Kyle Shanahan and the 49ers make the right call by sticking with rookie Brock Purdy over Jimmy Garoppolo?
In hindsight, it's easy to question the decision, but it merits the conversation.
If things had played out differently, Purdy and Co. would be on their way to Arizona right now, instead of the Bay Area.
The Eagles' defense was too much for the 49ers' offense, Jimmy Garoppolo wouldn't have fared better
Purdy was injured early in the game on the sixth offensive snap, to be exact. Simply put, Purdy was never able to get it going once he came back, and the offense didn't look like its normal self. That was despite Christian McCaffrey's 84 rushing yards and four receptions through the air. Purdy finished the game with 23 passing yards.
Let's face it, Garoppolo wouldn't have done any better, especially when you take into account that "Jimmy G" is coming off a broken foot.
The Eagles' defense was on a mission, and they weren't going to get denied. They forced three turnovers from Shanahan's offense, as the unit mustered only 11 first downs all game long. Even McCaffrey's game was subdued when compared to his other performances in the playoffs and regular season. Deebo Samuel didn't fare any better with just 33 receiving yards to his credit. With all of San Francisco's weapons effectively neutralized, Garoppolo wouldn't have had much success.
In fact, the Eagles stifled the 49ers so badly that Shanahan's offense never even made it to the red zone. What's interesting is that Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts had a terrible game himself. He went 15 of 25 for 121 yards, a pedestrian effort with zero touchdowns thrown. Even so, the Eagles' front-seven bullied the 49ers offensive line all game long.
None of San Francisco's quarterbacks would have fared well against this potent group. Garoppolo can now turn his attention to who he will be playing for in 2023.