Turns out Jimmy G is a major dual-threat quarterback.
OK, that’s not true. 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo rushed five times for four yards on Sunday. But two of them went for touchdowns in a huge performance to lift the Niners to a 33-22 road win against the Chicago Bears.
If only for a Sunday, Jimmy G silenced his doubters while helping snap a four-game losing streak.
“The noise -- it’s going to be there,” Garoppolo said. “Good, bad or indifferent.”
Jimmy G was good Sunday.
Questions have been swirling around Garoppolo’s play all season as he tries to live up to his big contract while No. 3 overall pick Trey Lance awaits his turn. As Lance watched on the sideline with a clipboard as a backup, Garoppolo and rookie Justin Fields commanded the turf with their legs and arms Sunday.
Garoppolo finished 17-of-28 for 322 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions and notched two key scores with his legs. The first came with 5:56 left in the third quarter, when coach Kyle Shanahan called a designed run for Deebo Samuel, but Garoppolo kept it and followed Kyle Juszczyk around left tackle and scored from two yards out.
“Still thought he should have handed it to Deebo,” Shanahan said with a smile after the game. “When it was said and done, I thought he made the right decision.”
Garoppolo and Samuel did link up on an 83-yard pass to set up a third-quarter touchdown, though, in the game’s most electric play.
Jimmy G’s second rushing score came at a key juncture in the fourth quarter, when he kept the ball on a play fake and scooted through space for a five-yard touchdown to help stretch San Francisco’s lead to eight points.
In the process, Garoppolo became the first 49ers quarterback to rush for two touchdowns in a game since Colin Kaepernick on Oct. 27, 2013 against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Jimmy G did it before Lance, whodathunkit?
I couldn’t help but think about Lance on the sidelines as he watched Fields and Garoppolo account for three touchdowns on the ground. Fields delivered his signature moment as a rookie when he whirled his way past the 49ers defense for a 22-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter.
Fields watched as Bears kicker Cairo Santos missed the extra point and they wouldn’t put any more points on the board. The Bears franchise quarterback finished 19-of-27 for 175 yards, a touchdown, an interception and carried the ball 10 times for 103 yards. He’s getting his rookie lumps, but Lance might have to keep waiting to get his.
Shanahan has been supportive of Garoppolo all year, and the veteran afforded himself some additional job security with Sunday’s performance. He also won’t have to face as much scrutiny from the fans and media this week while quieting any potential quarterback controversy -- at least until his next poor performance.
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“It’s nice to maybe not listen to it as much for a week,” Shanahan said of the outside noise. “I think Jimmy does it as good as anybody.”
Shanahan looks validated, too, as he got the ‘W’ with Jimmy G under center and Lance on the sideline. They’re playing the long game with Lance, who would have been available to fill in for an injured Garoppolo, but didn’t see the field as he returned from a Week 5 left knee sprain.
Garoppolo earned a game ball after returning to his hometown and leading the team to it’s first win since Week 2.
“I thought he had a hell of a game,” Shanahan said.
One day, Lance might be running in the end zone for a pair of scores in a 49ers victory. But it was Jimmy G’s turn Sunday.
