Anthony Farris
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The only thing rougher than Jimmy Garoppolo’s Sunday night return to the starting lineup was the Bay area weather. Rain and wind continuously ripped through Levi’s Stadium, making fans in the stands as miserable as their team’s record. The 49ers fell 30-18 to Indy on Sunday night, which means they have now lost four straight games. Garoppolo, who started on Sunday for the first time since a Week Four calf injury, tossed two picks, which just added to the San Francisco gloom.
Rough outing aside, he seems likely to remain under center.
“I would guess so,” head coach Kyle Shanahan said when asked after the game whether Garoppolo would start Week Eight. “I’ll watch this tape and see if guys are healthy, first of all.”
Kyle Shanahan on whether Jimmy Garoppolo will remain 49ers' starting QB: "I would guess so"https://t.co/AO6jdjfYcP pic.twitter.com/S2SGNz4L2m
— Around The NFL (@AroundTheNFL) October 25, 2021
Jimmy G finished the night with just 181 passing yards on 16 completions, with one touchdown, a fumble and two interceptions. After 12 first quarter points, the 49ers offense was blanked in the second and third quarters before putting six points on the board in the fourth with the game largely decided.
“I’m not just thinking about the quarterback situation right now,” added Shanahan. “I’ll evaluate everything, see where our team’s at, see who gives us the best chance to beat Chicago, and see what our options are … But we’ve got a lot of things to figure out.”
Both Garoppolo and rookie quarterback Trey Lance have been battling injuries. Lance was inactive on Sunday because of a knee injury, and Garoppolo was active for the first time since he was hobbled in Week Four.
“It sort of is what it is,” Garoppolo said about his injured calf. “I think all the guys out there, we’re all playing with something right now.”
At least for now, a battered Garoppolo appears likely to get the first crack at nursing wounded San Francisco (currently 2-4) back to a healthy record when the 49ers visit Chicago (3-4) next Sunday afternoon.
Follow along on Twitter: @OhioAF
I don’t think Jimmy is the answer, but that was a hard game to try to evaluate any football player accurately. Playing in a literal cyclone with driving rain makes it a tad difficult to accurately evaluate a player’s performance. I’m not sure you can take anything away from a game played in those conditions. The weather pretty much nullifies everyone’s skill and it turns into who can screw up the least.