Jimmy Garoppolo and Aaron Rodgers have been two of the league’s most talked-about quarterbacks all season long. While Jimmy G led a remarkable regular season turnaround for the 49ers, Rodgers has separated himself as the runaway favorite to win NFL MVP while making headlines for his podcast appearances off the field.
One of their seasons will come to an end Saturday night at Lambeau Field, when the Packers host the 49ers at the Frozen Tundra in single-digit temperatures.
Pro Football Focus’ Sam Monson joined 95.7 The Game’s “Willard & Dibs” Friday to share his analysis on the 49ers-Packers. You can listen to the full interview above.
“I think in this game, both offenses are going to have success, both offenses are going to move the ball and score points,” Monson told hosts Mark Willard and Dan Dibley. “It’s probably going to come down to, which avoids mistakes more than the other. Obviously, Rodgers is one of the most mistake-averse quarterbacks in NFL history, whereas Jimmy Garoppolo does put the ball in harm’s way quite a lot.”
Monsoon is particularly bullish on the 49ers rushing attack. Last week, San Francisco surged to 169 yards on 38 carries (4.4 yards per rush), behind 96 yards from Elijah Mitchell and 72 yards from Deebo Samuel. Alas, Monson is still weary Garoppolo could stifle offensive momentum, especially in clutch situations.
“The 49ers are going to be able to run the ball,” Monson said. “They’re going to be able to have success. That Green Bay defense, particularly, against the run, has been very soft late in the season. I think the 49ers are going to be able to move the ball pretty easily. The question with Jimmy Garoppolo always becomes, can you avoid or dodge the bullet of the eventual meltdown play. He’s going to give the ball to the defense once a game. Can you avoid that becoming a problem? Will he get away with it?”
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Monson pointed to the end of last week’s contest against the Cowboys as an example. Not only did Garoppolo throw a bad fourth-quarter interception, oversailing Trent Sherfield by a few feet, but he also missed a wide-open Brandon Aiyuk on a big third-down opportunity in the third quarter and was responsible for a flag on a late fourth-and-1 attempt.
“Even late in the game, outside of trying to turn it over, Garoppolo is the reason that the Dallas Cowboys had that last drive,” Monsoon said. “It was a false start called on Trent Williams, but that’s Jimmy Garoppolo’s mistake. That’s his penalty.”
Garoppolo is also dealing with thumb and shoulder injuries, though he wasn’t listed on the team’s injury report Thursday. Against Rodgers and the top-seeded Packers on their home turf in the frigid conditions, Garoppolo has a slim margin for error.
