Mike Silver says 49ers could bench Garoppolo “earlier than some people might imagine” if he struggles

Posted By on September 10, 2019

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, left, smiles on the bench next to quarterback Nick Mullens during the second half of the team’s NFL preseason football game against the Dallas Cowboys in Santa Clara, Calif., Saturday, Aug. 10, 2019. (AP Photo/John Hefti)

Check out what Mike Silver said about Jimmy Garoppolo Monday on NFL Network:

SILVER: “Jimmy Garoppolo, you saw the touchdown. He also threw a pick-six. He had rough moments in the preseason. He’s coming back from the knee injury. Guys, keep an eye on this. Nick Mullens is Kyle Shanahan’s type of quarterback. He is almost a savant when it comes to understanding the offense. He really, really executes it in a way that Kyle Shanahan likes. If Jimmy Garoppolo struggles, or continues to struggle, and they’re either losing or he’s not playing well or both, I don’t think it’s that far-fetched that they could make a quarterback switch earlier than some people might imagine.”

Silver is the most connected journalist in football, so I trust this report. I also agree with the logic behind it. For months, I’ve said the gap between Garoppolo and Nick Mullens is smaller than most would think, if not completely imaginary.

What do you think of this report?

This article has 329 Comments

    1. WEEK 1 – DL Rookie Watch:

      QUINNEN WILLIAMS, NYJ – 24 snaps, 0 tackles, 0 QB hits, 0 sacks, 0 TFL

      NICK BOSA, SF – 39 snaps, 3 tackles, 3 QB hits, 1 sacks, 1.5 TFL

      JOSH ALLEN, JAX – 51 snaps, 2 tackles, 1 QB hits, 0 sacks, 0 TFL

      Week 1 goes to the SMALLER BEAR, hands down!

        1. Clelin Ferrell was pretty darn good. He recorded a sack on 47 snaps, but it was a classic coverage sack, as a result of Flacco holding onto the football far too long (nearly 6 seconds, which is almost unheard of). He wasn’t regularly as disruptive in the backfield as Bosa, but Clelin showed a lot of hustle all game long, which is something I loved about him coming out. His final statline was good – 3 tackles, 2 QB hits, 1 sacks, and the 1 TFL.

          I do recognize it’s only 1 game, so there’s a long way to go. The most encouraging thing about Bosa’s performance for me, was how little he’s played over the last year, coming into the game. He’s nowhere near optimal “game shape”, but his “win” rate topped all rookie pass rushers this week, and by a large margin.

          1. And when I say Flacco held onto the football for 6 seconds, I meant IN THE POCKET, which is absurd for a veteran QB! Somebody is eventually going to get home after holding onto the ball in the pocket for 6 seconds, so as a QB, you have to know better. Inexcusable for a veteran like Flacco! He sucks these days, and the Ravens know it.

      2. I decided to change the subject of this silly Michael Silver report. It’s not worth my time this early in the season. Garopplo has 11 NFL starts (and he’s 9-2), so in terms of NFL starting experience, he’s still a youngster, with a lot of room for growth. The genius – Bill Walsh, figured that realistically, it takes in the area of a full 1.5 seasons (or in the range of 22 starts) to truly fully evaluate any starting NFL QB. Unless the QB in question’s play is absolutely dreadful, and void of any signs of growth, anything less than 20-22 NFL starts would be considered premature. It’s not as if he has a QB behind him on the roster who is a proven commodity as a bonafide NFL caliber starting QB. In fact, over the course of the 49ers last 33 games (2 season, plus 1 game), Garoppolo owns a 7W-2L record as the starter (and 9-2 over all NFL starts), while the teams’ other 2 QB’s have a combined 4W-15L record, during the same stretch. Therefore, for me, it only stands to reason that, unless Jimmy starts showing signs of absolute regression, and begins to lose games in alarming fashion, especially games deemed “winnable”, I see absolutely no reason to re-asses the situation until such time – somewhere in the vicinity of a full 20 NFL starts (at a minimum) under Jimmy’s belt, because, as Walsh would surely concur, jumping to conclusions any sooner than that, would be considered jumping the gun, and unfairly pulling the trigger prematurely, and that’s the last thing this young 49ers team needs right now.

        1. Oops, Mullens and Beathard are actually a combined 4W-20L over the last 33 games (2+ season) while Garoppolo is 7W-2L over the same stretch.

          Bottom Line – QB’s will always be defined by wins & losses, just as the coaches will:

          Mullens: 3W-5L
          Garoppolo: 7W-2L

        2. I think that Smaller Bear states the case well. That said, I am still not sold on Jimmy G. Mullens knows the offense better and seems more locked into the play the NFL requires from week to week. How committed is Jimmy G. to the NFL and the team? I guess we shall find out. An unimpressive first game so we shall see what occurs this weekend.

          1. How committed is Jimmy G. to the NFL and the team. I guess we shall find out.

            Committed???? With his arduous ACL rehab over these last months in getting ready for the season, you already found out.

          2. Thanks allie.

            Yes, I think it’s very premature to start this QB conversation. That said, I wasn’t happy with Garoppolo’s performance on Sunday. Here is some of what I posted after the game, in response to Steelematic’s point (9/8) in regards to the 49ers WR’s lack of separation during the contest:

            Steel, I didn’t see the Niners’ WR’s getting a ton of separation, but Garoppolo uncharacteristically failed to lead his receivers properly yesterday, on a large number of throws. That was my biggest takeaway in terms of the 49ers passing attack. The offensive line actually gave Jimmy decent protection yesterday, and while we didn’t see huge separation, for whatever reason Jimmy was consistently throwing behind his receivers, which is something I’m not used to seeing from him. He missed a lot of throws that NFL QB’s simply have to hit.

            My biggest question in that regard is why?

            ~ Is it a mechanical issue? Is Jimmy still favoring the leg, and not properly transferring his weight, which will adversely affect his ability to “drive” the football?

            ~ Or is it a timing issue? And if it was primarily a timing issue, was that caused by general rust, and a lack of game time chemistry with his WR’s, or is Jimmy hesitating for a fraction of a second longer than he typically has in the past, and not just letting it rip?

            I tend to think it’s all-of-the-above, but only time will tell.

            I’m giving Jimmy a B-/C+ for yesterday’s performance, as he did do enough to keep his team in the game, and give his defense a chance to win it. His TD pass to Richie James was a pearl, and Jimmy did show some grit, not allowing his early pick-six to snowball on him. But, he needs to be better moving forward.

            And BTW, Jimmy wasn’t just failing to lead his receivers properly, he was also just …. off target in a general sense. A few of his passes, some of which were fairly easy throws, sailed on him as well.

            Thankfully, Kittle continues to haul in every catch-able pass within his vicinity, regardless of proper ball placement. Without that, it could have been an even uglier day for Jimmy G, who, BTW, definitely needs his other safety valve, slot receiver – Trent Taylor – back on the field, ASAP. I think Taylor’s return will do wonders for Garoppolo, and the Niners’ passing attack.

              1. Naw, he is just fine. Nick actually says something, and can present his arguments in a logical, cogent manner.
                .
                I have not engaged with him, because I generally agree with his posts. I am glad that he has started to post here. This site needs new blood.
                .
                The main thing I get from his posts, is that he is a die hard faithful Niner fan. He sticks to football, and avoids the snark.
                .
                Reading is fundamental. If you do not want to read, scroll past.

    2. Jimmy G is a gun-slinger at heart. He’s at his best when he’s just letting it fly and improvising on broken plays.

      When you take an instinctual player like that and put him into a box (I.E. Shanahan’s system), he’s forced to be something that he’s not.

      In 2017, how did he look SOOO much better, despite playing with poor WRs, Erik magnuson starting RT, and not a full understanding of the playbook? The reason is because he was able to just let it rip and had nothing to lose. He wasn’t confined. He didn’t have handcuffs on. They had no choice but allow him to “wing it”.

      Shanahan doesn’t just demand results, but he wants results done “his way”. Even if Jimmy makes a play with a good throw, but makes the wrong read, I bet Kyle isn’t happy. He wants everything done exactly to his standards and therein lies the problem between our Qb and coach.

      1. I gotta say what you’ve written has crossed my mind recently. It’s a little too early for me to totally agree, but I’m getting an inkling that Jimmy and KS might not mesh. We’ll see what happens this season.

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  2. Especially since the defense seems to be so dominant. Mullins seems to be a safer QB who would make fewer mistakes. With a dominant defense you do not need as much offense, but rather more ball control. Mullins throws shorter but more accurate passes which would fit that criterion.

    1. Mullens the safer qb ? Give a break, who throws more picks than Mullens ? He has 10 ints in 8 career games. Mullens has a noodle arm, defenses will eat him alive now that they have enough film on him. Mullens has a 3-5 record, he’s garbage. So tired of people talking about that dude like he did something. Don’t need much offense huh ? Try that against KC, Saints, Rams, Pats etc. Anything negative about Jimmy, Grant will be the first to highlight. Dude is a real hater.

      2. “He’s garbage” you say…so right off the bat, you are so wrong. Past int’s and losses are the past and you can hold to that thread b/c that’s all you got. JG and Mullens are very close and JG should be better than what he was when he first got here and isn’t, hopefully he does get better, like lots. Mullens is better and lately right there with JG, doesn’t throw int’s lately like JG and his arm is stronger too, not like the 49ers are throwing lots of bombs or 40 yard cross field throws. Mullens doesn’t lock on to WR’s like JG and is just waiting for his turn, maybe soon. JG may be still rusty so lets see how he does. Still really early.

        1. Pat is right, pretty much nailed it…Mabey..may be be right, but not right now..If Jimmy was progressing instead throwing picks left and right in practice, pick 6’s and locking into recievers in games and getting chewed out by the coach there would be no discussion. Mullens is more steady and just might take over if things don’t change, mabey soon.

      4. “So tired of people talking about that dude like he did something.” I can say the same thing about Jimmy G. Oh wait, he’s a two time Super Bowl champion, right?

        1. Most People that know anything about football understand that 6’0” QB’s with below average arm strength and speed and pedestrian talent rarely… or never succeed in the NFL, Jimmy is our best chance at success and Kyle knows that!

          1. Those cookie cutter generalities are just ok…”What have you done on the field for me lately counts”. It’s Jimmie for now.. Mullens 6″1′, with decent arm strength/speed lately and above pedestrian talent for sure is waiting. Kyle is in Jimmies grill for his mistakes on the sidelines..How long is his patience with him, all season no matter what??.. don’t think so.

      5. It is highly probable Jimmy G. will get some kind of injury to ensure he misses start(s). Jimmy has not shown durability yet. He did well the year he came over from the Pats, but that was a partial season.

        So those that want to see Mullens, just be patient. But Mullens is at best average. Average is very good in the NFL, but he’s not savior material..

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  4. How in the hell will we ever find out what Jimmy’s ceiling is if we put in the guy that’s at his ceiling? Doesn’t make any sense given the fact we spent a 2nd rounder and $55 million on him….

    2. I agree. I think Jimmy has to do quite a bit of bad quarterbacking (ie, Kyle’s job may be on the line) before he is yanked.

  5. Agree with your assessment Grant. In fairness, Mullins is better than Jimmy G when Jimmy G is playing bad. Mullins is more consistent. Which you have said. But you have also said, and I agree as well, that the upside of Jimmy G is much much greater. Jimmy G has a better arm. Now if Jimmy G or if KS can work together like they did in 2017, it’s no brainer you go with Jimmy G. I am not sure who can do better when the stress hits. Who can win in the post season. Who can continue to get better. It seems like NM is going to continue to improve, even if his arm doesn’t. Can that motivate JG to study and improve as well. That is the difference between mediocre or failed NFL players and those that become HOFers. Raw talents only goes so far. I also would rather take the player who is a 10 for studying and improving and a 7 for talent rather than a 10 for talent and a 7 for studying the game and improving. Its a clear difference between what Brady and Brees do, and Manning did on the side line when they were not in the game and what other pure talent QBs did. You have to constantly get better, in the game even, and not think your best job is to be a cheerleader while the game is going on the sidelines. Physical attributes will fade faster than mental ones.

    1. For one it’s Mullens and no he doesn’t have a single quality better than Garoppolo other than maybe touch on his passes.

      1. I think he has better command of the playbook, because he has studied it longer.
        .
        Mullens also seems to process through his receivers, and can find the open man, better than JG, but JG is recovering from an ACL injury. JG needs more reps and game time experience, so he can sync up better with his receivers.
        .
        Still, JG is the franchise QB, so he is only concerned with scoring points and winning games.

        1. I get what you’re saying, Mullens does get through his progressions very quickly, and he knows KS playbook inside and out, however defenses will come to understand that they don’t have to respect his arm strength, a cover 2 shallow will easily beat him game in and game out.

  6. What do you think of this report?

    Frankly, not much. When you look at what he’s saying; “I don’t think it’s that far-fetched that they could make a quarterback switch” It feels like an attempt to harmlessly throw out an idea so if on the off chance it happens he can say “I told you so.” A popular move by a few around these parts as well.

    When you say, I don’t think it’s that far-fetched you’re really just saying, hey anything is possible. He’s not using language that really invokes a ton of plausibility.

    JG will have to play down right putrid before he’s in any danger of being benched this year. He’d have to have a stretch of at least 5 maybe 6 games where he is unequivocally the reason they lose. Next year is a different story but he wasn’t talking about next season.

    It not impossible that it’ll happen but it is pretty far-fetched.

      1. Jimmy looked amazing his first half a season. But he has yet to show anything even close to that in his games last season and this game. Was his first half season a fluke? He let it all hang out because he was playing for a contract and had nothing to lose. By the middle of this season those questions should be answered. I personally do not believe we will ever see 2017 Jimmy again, but we could settle for just a bit less. However, if he is the Jimmy of 2018 and what we have seen so far this season, they might be better of looking for someone else. Some players just are not the same after they get their money.

        2. He let it all hang out because it was a contract year?
          That makes more sense if he were a positional player. Jimmy came to a team where he didn’t know the coaches, the players or the playbook and he had to try and learn this on the fly. Qb is not effort based position in terms of athletic ability. It’s film study, seeing the field, making quick decisions and delivering the ball efficiently. In which of those areas would he suddenly decide not to let it all hang out?

  7. Shanahan passed on Deshaun Watson while lusting for that QB now in Minnesota and passed on AJ Green in the last draft to get Deebo Samuels. Green just had over a hundred yards this week. We’d be definitely heading for a Super bowl with Watson and Green on the roster. Shanny should let someone else pick the QB and WR from now on.

    1. AJBrown??/ wrong color LOL……Passed Mahomes= yikes to get CJ…pathetic right? Yeah I had JAllen going in first after a slight trade back to get another pick, then AJ Brown…team would have been stoked….but yes play Mullins

      1. Thanks for the correction. Yeah AJ Brown. I wanted Josh Allen too, then AJ Brown. We’re on the same page. Bosa is way slow but with Dee Ford they make a good team if healthy.

        1. man…..I just cant with you guys……aj Green is a well known pro bowler…..to confuse him w brown is inexcusable ……brown IS RELATED TO ANTONIO BROWN!!!!!!!!!!!!!! that’s a hard pass!!!! talent-yes…….wack job- very likely……..ill take the guy whos not related to one of the biggest head cases in nfl history…..
          KS offense will make anyone look decent…..even URFA’s…….you know, like Mullens…….
          %90 of this blog whined that we didn’t draft guys in round 4-7 to replace DBs drafted in rounds 1-3 all offseason long…….wouldn’t acknowledge that the improved pass rush might solve the problem…..wouldn’t acknowledge that guys around in rounds 4-7 aren’t upgrades over guys drafted in rounds 1-3 …….talking to you grant….and many others…….
          and after the defensive backs looked great just like the pass rush……you guys are referring to the defense as “great” and moved on to complaining about the qb …….who just won another freaking game and battled back from an ACL……when another guy couldn’t ……even though he had more time!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Mckinion for the homers !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
          C
          L
          O
          W
          N
          S

    2. “We’d be definitely heading for a Super bowl with Watson and Green on the roster.”

      If you’re going to judge players after just one game, you may as well give Nick Bosa his HOF sports jacket right now.
      And if you are going to cry about passing on Watson, why not throw a tantrum that we also passed on Patrick Maholmes.
      By the way, every team in the league (except NE) should be eating some tough crow for passing on Tom Brady.

      The 49ers aren’t in an exclusive club when it comes to passing on players, it happens to a lot of teams. For every sub-player that 49er fans throw at Shanahan’ and Lynch’ face, there is a George Kittle who was selected in the 5th rd who is a top two TE in only two seasons. How about UDFA’s like Mullens and Breida. Or above mentioned rookie named Nick Bosa that is already wreaking havoc and being a difference maker.
      But I guess some like to cry on what could have been, rather then enjoy what we have right now.
      To each their own.

      2. I’d rather roll with Mahomes or Watson and AJ Brown than cheer because I got a couple of back up players off the UDFA pile. One thought train takes you to the Super Bowl and the other won’t even get you to 8 and 8.

        1. Rok,
          Can you please remind me when Watson and Mahomes have been to the Superbowl?
          They are tied with Mullens and Breida in that category.

          We could have possibly won 4-5 Superbowl’s with Brady and A. Rogers if we drafted either of them. But we didn’t. Just like we didn’t draft Mahomes, Watson, Brees, Ryan and any other player who comes to mind.
          It happens.

          I’m not going to roll up in a fetal position and bemoan the “what could have been” crowd. I’m going to roll with our current players and enjoy as the rise to the top.

          1. This blog is really interesting…you guys are discussing draft picks that were passed over…that happens in every draft to every team. It is a way for guys to think of how smart they are….since they predicted that those guys would become great (along with 500 other guys)…

  9. First it was KS is going to make CJB the backup because he’s Kyles guy. Now KS is on the verge of yanking JG for Mullens because “he really, really executes it in a way that Kyle Shanahan likes.” Man, you guys are all over the map. Find a story and stick to it, won’t you?

    1. CJB was his guy, old news. Mullens is finding his stride in KS system. Can’t you figure it out and keep up?

  10. Sounds like Grant is running with granpa’s playbook. When did Mike Silver become an authority on quarterback play? The Shanahan’s aren’t known for having a quick hook. Last time I checked JG has started 11 NFL games and won 9 of them. Kyle and his dad had the foresight to draft Kirk Cousins in the 4th round the same year the ding dong owner of the Redskins just had to have RG III. We are about halfway through the evaluation process of Jimmy G. So far so good. Put The crack pipe down Grant!

    1. ‘So far so good’, lol!!…like downhill from his first 5 games. He better get with it, in his second half of eval.

  11. Seb, how concerning is it to you that the Bengals signed LaRoy Reynolds, given how much Pinion’s debriefing affected the game in Tampa?

    1. Pinion did give intel, just like Reynolds will give more info, since he was in TC and played during the preseason.
      .
      Sometimes, it may not be actionable intelligence, or is not important enough to change the outcome of the game.
      .
      KS is smart enough to realize Reynolds was in the locker room and those team meetings, so he will change things up.
      .
      The fact that Cincy poached a former Niner player, shows that they are trying everything in their power to get intel.
      .
      It is smart on their part, but I hope KS will turn around, and counter their counter, by doing something totally unexpected.

        1. SY,
          Ha! Love me some Charley Brown. The show produced Vince Gauraldi who has been one of my favorite jazz piano players for years.
          Good stuff.

          1. Always loved Charles Shulz!

            Plus the sentiment seemed to fit too perfectly.

            The woman in my life is turning me on to Jazz, though I’m a blues man myself!

            2. SY
              For your pleasure, seek out jazz musicians playing the Blues. They know Blues underlies Jazz and they interpret respectfully.
              Old timers like Basie, Armstrong, Sims, Turrentine, ‘Bird’.
              Younger: both Marsalis brothers, Cyrus Chestnut, Marcus Roberts, Joshua Redmond

              1. Red thanks!

                Yeah, I know most of those guys and have a lot of their work (older guys mostly). Also was aware of the Blues and Ragtime background of Jazz. Thanks for the heads up!

          2. Gauraldi had been around and well known to jazz buffs (especially nor cal jazz buffs) before Charlie Brown Christmas introduced him to a wider audience (as Seb mentions with the Grammy award winning Cast Your Fate To The Wind, several years before Linus and Lucy). Passed way before his time at age 47.

            1. Yup, some of the greatest jazz pianist are RIP.
              One of my favorites was Bill Evans. Joe Sample was great as well.

              Today I like young piano players like Yohan Kim and Cory Henry. I’m hoping that they take the torch and keep jazz alive.
              But they have a huge uphill climb if they want to follow the steps of Monk, Tatum, Evans etc.

        1. HA!…The Bengals just waived Qb Jeff Driskel from the injured reserve and received an injury settlement. He suffered what was initially believed to be a season-ending hamstring injury in the preseason. Bengals signed him when he was waived by the 49ers after the team drafted him in the 6th round of the ’16 NFL draft. He has spent the past two offseasons with the Bengals. In ’18 he beat out Matt Barkley for the backup job behind Andy Dalton and got his first shot to play meaningful time in the regular season. He saw all of it come in the final six games winning only once after Dalton went down again with a season-ending injury.

  12. The two most important qualities in a QB , reading defense and accuracy. Mullens has the edge over JG

    2. C’mon folks, get a grip. If Mullens is better than JG he’d be starting.
      Last I looked he’s not. End of story.

  13. This is not Montana and Young here this is more like Andrew Luck and Josh McCown. It’s seriously seeing people comment who so “assuredly” know what they’re talking about and don’t have a freakin clue! Yes Nick Mullens is a really good backup but if you think he’s capable of running the Niners I have some 2020 Oakland Raider season tickets and parking passes for you to buy for only $300!

  14. Garoppolo is good, but sometimes he doesn’t trust himself, when he does that, the whole game will get away from him. Garroplo also needs to learn how to take advantage of short fields & punch-it-in for a touchdown when the defense gets a turnover for him, because he didn’t do that this past weekend. So the defense won that game for him. So yes I kinda agree with @MikeSilver that if he starts to struggle & is not effective, then it’s gonna be time to bench him. I mean for reals, how much more time does he need? The time is NOW…

  15. If Shanahan thought Mullens was the better QB he’d be starting…. Until that changes it’s nothing more than clickbait.

  16. JG is the franchise QB, and speculation about benching him is just trolling, and clickbait. I do not know why they are beating this dead horse. There are many more important things to talk about, like the Ravens demolition of the Dolphins, and that magical comeback by Brees.
    .
    However, JG is an ACL player, so he could become injured. I do not think that would be a catastrophe, because Mullens is an adequate backup. Still, I never want a player to become injured, but that is life in the NFL.
    .
    Mullens is one play from starting, so I hope he is ready to fill in. However, I hope JG can play all 16 games. Actually, I hope JG leads them to the playoffs, and they can afford to sit JG, and let Mullens play, so JG does not risk becoming injured in their last game. That game against the Seahawks may be against a desperate team, fighting to get into the playoffs.

      1. Because he is totally healthy. JG is coming back from an ACL injury. JG will have to play well at least 4 games before I will say he is fully recovered, and is the best QB on the team.

  17. I think Shanahan has already tied his ship to Jimmy’s. Both will either prosper, or fall together…

    (God I hope it’s the former!)

      2. I’ll see your Philly with dozens of other teams lost seasons playing the second QB. Starting with the 2018 49ers.

        1. He was dealing in absolutes. I just gave an exception to his rule.
          .
          Another team that did well, was the Pats, with Brady taking over from Bledsoe. Hostetler took over from Sims. Plunkett did well for the Raiders.

          1. Sure, go back 40 years… you’ll find at least 3 or 4 examples since then.

            The odds for success are… it might as well be absolute.

            1. And I am absolutely certain your snark is getting tiresome. Every single time.
              .
              The Niners won, but it seems like you want to rain on the parade.

              1. The Niners won, but it seems like you want to rain on the parade.

                I’m glad you are skipping my comments. But if you aren’t, at least get them right. I am, if nothing, calling out the parade rainers.

              3. Keep it to football Seb, not your infallibility.

                We were talking about the likelihood of a team’s success when playing their 2nd QB. Take a look at what the betting lines think when a QB2 is forced into action. Last season:

                Green Bay: Healthy Aaron Rodgers to disaster DeShone Kizer – down 10 points
                Detroit: Matthew Stafford to Matt Cassel – down 9 points
                San Francisco: Jimmy Garoppolo to CJ Beathard – down 6.5 points
                Philadelphia: Healthy Carson Wentz to Nick Foles – down 4 points
                Cleveland: Tyrod Tayler to Baker Mayfield – up 1 point
                Arizona: Sam Bradford to Josh Rosen – down 1.5 points

                https://www.thelines.com/how-many-points-quarterback-betting-line/

                Sure there are anecdotal examples to the contrary, but a team losing it’s starting QB is expected to, and likely will, tank.

              4. You make it sound like it is rocket science, but it is just common sense, The backup is the backup, because he is generally not as good as the starter.
                .
                Of course, most teams will struggle when the starter goes down, but there have been many cases when the backup comes in and shines.
                .
                Look at Kaep and AS. Kaep started 10 games and got to the SB. 2 seasons ago, Foles came in and won a SB. Montana took over for Deberg. Young took over for Montana. Warner took over from Green.
                .
                Last season, Jackson took over from Flacco, and made it to the playoffs.

    1. 4. Nick Bosa
      San Francisco’s rookie earned a top overall grade following his 49ers debut performance on Sunday. Bosa registered a sack, three quarterback hits, three tackles and six quarterback pressures in 25 pass rush plays (24 percent pressure rate). Bosa’s six total pressures were the most by a rookie and his pass-rush “win” rate on 28 percent of his snaps was the highest among all qualifying defensive players in Week 1. The rookie also notched two tackles and a run stop on just 11 snaps. Bosa earned himself a noteworthy 80.5 overall grade in his first game action as a member of the 49ers.

      1. Give the kid a break. He came in a year removed from any football action, he missed a lot of OTA’s and Training Camp too. You’d expect him to be a little rusty….

  20. If Silver wishes to wildly speculate, maybe he should wonder if hiring an OC will help solve their Red Zone woes.
    .
    Maybe he should talk abut which WR should start, in which position.(X, Z, Slot).
    .
    Maybe Silver should pontificate about moving Sherman to safety, so they incur less PI penalties.
    .
    Maybe Silver should be screaming at Saleh, for allowing players to line up offsides.

    2. Seb,
      Our “red zone woes” last week weren’t about play calling. Shanahan called 3 plays in the red zone that resulted in TD’s. The problem was penalties . Two of which I felt were questionable calls.

      1. Old Coach, I just want TDs, without shooting themselves in the foot. They should be better prepared, so they avoid even the hint of a penalty. Proper coaching will help solve that problem, and the good thing is- it is an easy fix.
        .
        However, I will agree with you. Those refs seemed like they were balancing out the calls, since they negated a couple TB apparent TDs.

  21. Garoppolo would need to bog down the offense, have several bad outings, or sustain another injury that requires a long period of recovery for such a scenario to happen.

  22. The win was nice but the offense was pretty dreadful, 5th lowest yard per play in week 1. Could see a change being made if it stays there.

    1. True, but an argument can be made that his stats would have looked better if not for the dumb penalties committed in the red zone.

      1. Yes, he would’ve benefited from the defense setting them up twice. Also, his stats would’ve looked a lot better if he hit open receivers.

        2. “Yes, he would’ve benefited from the defense setting them up twice.”

          I thought that football was composed of the offense, defense and special teams.
          What ever happened with “you win as a team, and you lose as a team?”
          I guess that I’m just an old school football traditionalist.
          That said, thanks for the stats representation around here.

          1. «What ever happened with “you win as a team, and you lose as a team?”»

            Very true, and in the case of the game on Sunday the defense/special teams did a very good job of setting the offense up.

            Going back to the whole, “he had 2 touchdowns called back” thing.

            Yes it is true. It is also true that the second TD throw that was called back only occurred because they had a 15 yard touchdown run called back a couple plays earlier.

            If the offense and QB continue to play at the same level they did Sunday there will be changes.

            1. If the offense and QB continue to play at the same level they did Sunday there will be changes.

              I’m sure you have a source for that and you’re totally not pulling things out of your ass, Jack. What’s the timeframe? Two weeks? Eight? We need to know so we can hold your feet to the fire, Wacky Jacky…

              1. It’s called an educated guess. If they continue to have the 5th worst yards per play in the league it’ll be tough to win games.

                If a move does happen it probably won’t be until the week 7-9 range.

              2. Okay Jack, and your “educated” guess tells you they’ll make a QB change regardless of why that number is there? If it’s that low, it’s probably not down to the QB alone. My educated guess tells me the O-line, the receivers and even some coaches would take the fall long before Jimmy does.

              4. Sorry to interrupt but Jimmy G and the Niners are 1-0.
                Stats, look bad, didn’t do this, means nothing.
                The only thing that matters is wins and loses.

              7. “Garoppolo ranked in the bottom half of nearly every QB statistic in week 1“

                Stats are for losers. Jimmy G and the Niners are 1-0.

        3. You are missing the point I am trying to make Jack. Would there be so much sounding of the alarm on Garoppolo if he had an additional TD or two to his stats against the Buccaneers? My guess is his outing would have been called efficient and effective.
          I agree that Garoppolo was not that good on Sunday, but (aside from Kittle) neither was the rest of the offense. Everyone on the offense, which includes the coaching staff and players, needs to improve going forward, or the change that the fans may see is a interim head coach.

          1. “but (aside from Kittle) neither was the rest of the offense.”

            Nah. Bourne was open for two big plays and the ball never got to him.

            Goodwin was open for 2 nice gains and the ball was thrown behind him both times.

            Going back to Kittle, he was open for a bit play and the ball didn’t get to him.

              1. Here is what you said, “Garoppolo was not that good on Sunday, but (aside from Kittle) neither was the rest of the offense”

                The receivers can’t be good if the ball doesn’t get to them when they’re open, so while Kittle put up good numbers the others don’t look so hot.

              2. They also can’t be good if they fail to get open or do their blocking assignment. Both Garoppolo and the receivers need to step up their game, but my “rest of the offense” comment was also referring to the play-calling on offense, the blocking in the run game, and Richburg.

              3. “They also can’t be good if they fail to get open”

                There are at least 5 pass plays where they were open and the ball either wasn’t thrown or the pass was poor.

                You are correct on the running game needing to improve. They had a very tough time running inside against Vea and Suh.

              4. There are at least 5 pass plays where they were open and the ball either wasn’t thrown or the pass was poor.

                Not denying that, but I believe on other instances that a better effort to catch the ball needed to be made. The pass that was behind Goodwin is an example of this. Most of the articles that discussed that pass believed the pass was still catchable despite said pass being behind Goodwin.

              5. “The pass that was behind Goodwin is an example of this.”

                Yes it was a tough catch that probably should have been made, and if he had would have been a nice gain. A more accurate pass could have led to a bigger gain as well since he was running away from the DB.

          2. Good points Mid. Opportunities lost because of penalties can’t always be magically recreated. One more TD to Jimmy G’s credit and everyone would say he had a good game (despite some issues that need to be corrected).

      2. Nope. It’s “but” as in “the Niners did some good things, but….”

        There’s always some shade to throw somewhere. Own it, buthead :)

          1. And no doubt there will be something for you to criticize this next game too. Dude, if you go looking for bad, you will always find it. How about spending more time looking at the forest and less at the trees?

            1. “How about spending more time looking at the forest and less at the trees?”

              The forest is that the 49ers won the game. A nice step forward.

              The trees is the fact that the offense was not very good. Can they count on the defense/special teams to give them 17 points each week?

              2. Go back to my original comment, “5th lowest yard per play in week 1. Could see a change being made if it stays there”

                If they continue to play at the same level, yes, they will need the defense to either score for them or continue to give them the ball in scoring position.

              3. You mean there will be games where one unit outperforms the other thus “saving” the game? That’s a novel concept if I ever heard of one.

                Last couple of years neither offense nor defense could save a game to save their lives. At least we look like we are starting to field a team that can overcome game to game shortcomings. We’ll see as the season progresses.

              5. So let’s make sure we beat them to death….And not only that, extrapolate into major team shakeups based on the negatives of…wait, I got it, the very first game of the season. 60 minutes into a 960 minute slog.

              6. So pointing out that the offense wasn’t good and changes might come if it doesn’t improve is “beating them to death”?

                Got it.

            2. You might have a point 2,3,4 games from now. After game 1, it’s just your prejudices bubbling over. You, the guy who didn’t even care for JG’’s 5-0 run. You are just waiting to be proven right.

              1. So pointing out things that could be an issue and cause changes if not fixed moving forward is now an example of prejudice.

                Got it.

    3. Do you think the conservative play calling hindered Garappolo’s ability to get into rhythm (and ultimately his onfield production) or was intentional because of Shanahan’s mistrust in Jimmy’s current abilities?

      1. Shanny said they game planned to run the ball 30 times, and I’ll venture to guess that the heat played a big role in that strategy. I think this term “mistrust” is one of the those speculative reaches based on opportunity. It’s Shanny’s job to protect Jimmy as best he can, and facilitate a plan that allows him to grow week by week….

      2. The play calling wasn’t conservative. Garoppolo missed guys who were wide open with bad reads on at least 2 incompletions.

        Shanahan’s lack of balance in play calling is something I’ve been critical of him for. He did a very good job of sticking with the run on Sunday.

      3. I hope KS turns JG loose and lets him be the field general, with input from the side lines. Running he hurry up offense with the no huddle, could prevent the defense from substituting and maybe draw them offsides, for a free play, that morphs into a long strike down field.
        .
        During that 5 game win streak, JG was throwing into triple coverage, which KS says one should never do. However, JG was completing passes while throwing into triple coverage, so maybe JG needs to overcome the coaching.
        .
        It is nice to have 30 runs as a goal, but I hope they do not try to run, and face 8 in the box. Running into the teeth of the defense, may be counter productive.
        The Bengals ran a flea flicker, so maybe the Niners should beat them at their own game.

  23. How do you bench a guy who is 7-2 in favor of a guy who is 3-5? What kind of logic is that? Last I checked Mullens threw two picks against Tampa. And that makes two games where Mullens had a 1 td 2 int. Seriously this lets put Mullens in nonsense gotta stop. How is jimmy under pressure when he went 5-0 and then got injured after 3 games into last season? That makes no sense whatsoever. If anything it’s kyle and his trash play calling and not working to the strength to his qb. Just call plays that got you on that 5 game win streak. If you ask me kyle is a liability as a head coach. Not to mention lynch a liability as a GM being that he has not got his FRANCHISE QB any type of offensive line protection. Maybe an actual number 1 receiver would help out as well but kyle and lynch think that having a bunch of wideouts who are essentially the same type of player is the answer.

    1. I don’t believe in anyone’s interpretation of data unless that data agrees with me. ;)

      A few interesting takeaways there.
      – Jimmy and Winston had the shortest amount of time to throw per the numbers.
      – Negative scores on expected completion percentage were given to Big Ben, Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady.
      – Jimmy had the shortest air yards per completion in the nfl and threw Short of the sticks more than any other qb.
      *note* the multitude of short throws could have had something to do with the pressure he was facing.

      Based on what I saw and what these stats show it appears to me that Kyle was really trying to manage Jimmy’s reads.

      Additionally, If I am being honest, while it may or may not have been the right call, I think this was one of Kyle’s poorer games in terms of play calling.
      At one point he called a lot of running plays and when it started to look like the defense was wearing down, started to pass. In a short yardage situations he tried to run behind Mike Person, on 3rd and 8 with 2:30 left he put Jimmy in the shotgun formation. Here time was the big enemy, so even if you wanted to go for the first with a pass, I think you are better off threatening with a run look/play action. The Bucs would have had to respect it due to the time, if the receiver breaks open great, if not take the sack and force a Tampa to call for time or eat 30 ticks off the clock.

      1. Based on what I saw and what these stats show it appears to me that Kyle was really trying to manage Jimmy’s reads.

        And reasonably so, given his very first return in nearly a year following season ending injury and a long rehab back. And not tons of regular season experience before that.

      2. All good points. I, too, thought that Kyle’s play calling was curious, especially, towards the end of the game as you point out. I don’t have all-22 video and wouldn’t have time to re-watch that anyway, but it seemed that they were pretty good at preventing the Niners from getting into a rhythm in the running game (except in one or two series in the first half). They either stuffed the box or David and White were able to snuff out outside zone runs.

  25. Meanwhile, Andy Dalton seems to be showing the potential for flourishing in the offense installed by McVay’s barista.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S3dmhhUQG44

    OTOH, McVay’s QB (with the most guaranteed money of any QB), was the least accurate starting quarterback in the NFL in Week 1 as measured by Next gen Stats. Should they replace Goff?

  26. I think it stands to reason that if JG and the 49ers struggle through the next 4-5 games that Shanahan would look to make a change. The mindset has changed to one of no excuses for not winning. I think they genuinely expect to make the playoffs this year. If JG isn’t helping the team win, I expect Shanahan will indeed look to make a change.

    I also fully expect no change will be made, as I expect JG will play well enough over the next few games, and the team be competitive enough, that no change is considered necessary.

    1. “I think it stands to reason that if JG and the 49ers struggle through the next 4-5 games that Shanahan would look to make a change. ”
      Would you say Jimmy G is “struggling” right now? I see a QB who has started 11 games (and completed only 9 of them) who’s coming off an ACL injury showing the rust of a long layoff, and is still learning about his receivers.
      IMO, I do not expect Jimmy G to hit his stride till November. Meanwhile, his performance will probably be up-and-down.
      You think if Jimmy “struggles” (whatever the metrics are for “struggling”) for the next 4 games, Kyle is going to even remotely consider replacing him with Mullens, a career backup with 3-5 record?! I would be astounded, nay, shocked.

      1. By struggling I mean if he continues to miss open receivers and throw balls that are wide of the mark, and this leads to or significantly contributes to the team losing most or all of the next 4-5 games.

          1. Mood, he had a few instances where receivers were open downfield and he didn’t throw the ball as well.

            JG wasn’t awful, but he also wasn’t that good. If that becomes the norm over the next 4 to 5 games and the team isn’t winning, would you stick with him? I don’t think Shanahan will.

    2. But if JG has more games like he did Sunday and the team continues to win, will Shanahan bench him?

      While some here focus JG, we are better served if we adjust our lens to view the team in its entirety.

      The defense already has more INT’s than they produced all of last season.
      The QB hits and pressures are vastly improved and the secondary is reaping the benefits.
      The scary thing is, that Bosa, D. Ford, Kwon, Greenlaw and Warner are going to get better with experience.

      We may see something similar to what the Ravens had in 2000. Does anyone remember their QB that year.
      Yup, that guy. And they won a Superbowl with “that guy” Trent Farris Dilfer.
      Point? When all facets of the team are working good, the entire (there’s that word again) team prospers.
      It’s about the TEAM.

      1. If the team is winning there will be little incentive to make a change. I mustn’t have been as clear as I thought in my post. Basically, the pressure is on this year to win games. If they aren’t winning or only win say one game over the next 4-5 games, that would put them in a huge hole, especially with the 49ers schedule in the 2nd half of the season. If JG is a big part of losing those games then yeah, I definitely expect Shanahan would look to make a change to try and salvage the season.

        But as I also said, I very much doubt any of that will transpire.

        1. Scooter,

          Your initial comment was pretty clear. The team won on Sunday so the rough edges are smoothed out.

  27. Jimmy is in no danger of being benched. His WRs were not particularly useful week 1, and they’ll be the first scapegoat before the QB. If Jimmy regularly misses open throws, takes sacks he doesn’t need to take, and the team is on the verge of being mathematically elimited from playoff contention, then maybe his job is in trouble. But until then, he’s the QB. I do think we’ll see Mullens this season, but only during blowouts (either a loss or a win) to protect Jimmy, like every other highly-regarded QB.

  28. Silver pulls all this stuff out of his rear end with all these “ifs”, “possible” and the best one “I don’t think it’s that far fetched”. It’s just more pure speculation and complete assassination of Jimmy. It’s getting really old already.

    Mullins is an OK backup. Why are we speculating about throwing out our starting QB when we’re 1-0 and off to the best start we’ve had in years??? Why all the @#&^* negativity?

    2. Only 1-0, but focus on the play just by JG. And it’s not far fetched. He has to ‘really’ step it up, not regress.

  29. You put out enough guesses and you are bound to get some right. Even a broken clock is right twice a day. Simply put, right now Jimmy is 7-2 under Kyle (9-2 overall). Mullen is 3-5? The only reason Kyle liked CJ over Mullens for a long time is that he is willing to go take a shot downfield more, he said it. So there is that.

  30. Over the last few days Grant has retweeted (more than once) material which supports the argument that only ‘hungry’ and driven people should be afforded opportunities to assume leadership positions. Those who’ve already succeeded and are well compensated as a result should not be considered, for they are complacent and have lost the drive to continuously improve and press boundaries. [My summary is a bit chopped up, but you get the point–the young and hungry vs the lazy/tired/spoiled]

    In large part, Grant sees Mullens as that young, hungry, driven QB–right behind that less-than-driven, somewhat lazy Garoppolo with the big paycheck. There’s enough gray area in 9er offensive performance for Grant to build and sustain the ‘Mullens can do better than Garoppolo’ argument. Grant will cherry pick details. And of course, those billions of robot morons just don’t get it. Visualize Grant shaking his head….

    The stage is set. If Garoppolo does struggle and the 9ers are 2 and 6 at mid season (directly attributable to Garoppolo fails), then Grant can claim ‘I called it!’ if #10 sits. If Garoppolo performs well (maybe not brilliantly, but well) and the 9ers are 5 and 3 and he continues to start, no harm no foul. Grant can smile and claim ‘hey, I said if…’ Grant is safe either way.

    1. Grant is safe either way.

      And so do those annoying so-called “realists”. The team does well, awesome we’re Niner fans! The team does poorly? Just like we told those delusional homers. The team squeaks by? Beat the shortcoming to death.

            1. And they should learn how to write English properly, it might make their snark sound coherent.

              How wonderfully droll of you, The Seb, to demonstrate your point by intentionally using a comma splice in your comment. Indeed, your snark above is noticeably less coherent than even your normal empty verbosity, and that is no doubt attributable to your erroneous punctuation. Bravo!

              1. Erroneous punctuation?
                .
                So desperate to find fault, even when it is not there. It is perfectly fine to add a comma, because there are 2 different subjects discussed.
                .
                Please try harder.

              2. It is perfectly fine to add a comma, because there are 2 different subjects discussed.

                Friends, we must stand in awe of the radiance of The Seb, for the above sentence is yet another masterpiece from his unique mind. To emphasize his original point that misuse of English writing conventions has a negative impact on one’s intended message, he has not only confidently, even boldly, proffered an incorrect ‘rule’, but he also has included non-standard usage within the same sentence. One cannot help but marvel at the subtlety of his rhetorical prowess.

                Of course, The Seb well knows that commas are separators not joiners, just as much as he understands that one who wishes to be proper must spell out numbers that can be expressed in one or two words and only use numeric representation for numbers that would require three or more words. But for those of us not on his level, I will explain and cite authority regarding the improper use of commas to join independent clauses into a compound sentence.

                A comma splice is a common type of run on sentence/comma error in which the writer splices together two independent clauses with just a comma, hence the name. The problem with this is that a comma alone cannot join together independent clauses into a compound sentence. To create a proper compound sentence, one must use a conjunction or a semicolon. Now, convention holds that a comma is placed before a coordinating conjunction that joins together to independent clauses, but the comma carries none of the conjunctive load in the compound sentence.

                For more information on the dreaded comma splice, see grammarly.com’s excellent discussion on this topic (https://www.grammarly.com/blog/comma-splice/). Please pay note to the section entitled “Are Comma Splices Ever Okay,” as it points out that the use of comma splices is a rule “[one] can sometimes break…in more artistic types of writing,” such as fiction and poetry. As I believe many of us would agree, The Seb’s writing is often a special kind of fiction.

              3. Nope, wrong again. That sentence is perfectly fine, because, although it connects 2 subjects, the target is still the writer.
                .
                So desperate. So clueless. It is not a run on sentence, It was only 16 words.
                .
                Keep trying, though. Some day, you may parse the English language into the proper syntax.

              4. I must admit that I have missed The Seb during my time away from this blog. I cannot conceive of a better comedic straight man, especially for one who is unwittingly so. Not only does he not understand that the nonsense he spews is nonsense, but he is incapable of recognizing it as nonsense even when it is explained to him. Comedy gold, that is!

                On a separate but related topic, I was reading through old posts and saw that some posters were denigrating Seb’s family, I guess based on something he posted about his father. While I find Seb highly amusing and have poked fun at his banal ideas and self-inflated sense of gravitas in everything he writes, I find that mocking his family or him for being proud of his father is beyond the pale. And that is coming from a troll who has been one since before the internet was in use by the general public. Anyone remember dial-up BBSs–not services like Compuserve or AOL, but small independently run discussion boards? I trolled those long before anyone ever used the term ‘troll’ for such behavior. My trolling was never mean-spirited, however. It was–and is–designed to confront folks with their own hypocrisy and general lack of thinking skills. Thus, I much prefer ‘gadfly’ over ‘troll’, even though I admit to being the latter in modern parlance. ;-)

              5. Gadfly, thank you for your kind words.
                .
                Do I take myself too seriously? This is a sports blog, not the Library of Congress. If I were truly serious, I would flood the Niners with emails.
                .
                Sure, I say controversial things, but others take my posts way too seriously. I just like to post about a team I love, and thank Grant for allowing me to have my soapbox here.

    2. “In large part, Grant sees Mullens as that young, hungry, driven QB–right behind that less-than-driven, somewhat lazy Garoppolo with the big paycheck. ”
      Wonder if it’s Grant’s subconsciousness acting up based on some other writer at SRPD who’s lazy and making much more than him….!

    3. It’s very easy to see Grant Cohn doesn’t know much about football, at least as far as how Coaches and players think anyway. Coaches don’t change their minds based on small stretches of good or bad play. They go through offseason training and TC with these guys to get an idea of what each player can do in the system to help them win and make decisions based on that. The whole point of this offseason and TC was to get Garoppolo ready to play after a bad knee Injury and get a season of starts under his belt to get him the snaps he needs to improve. They aren’t going to abort that plan based on a few inaccurate throws in a game they won to start the season. I like Mike Silver and he’s usually dialled in to the Bay area teams, but this was not a report. It was a guess on what the team would do in a hypothetical situation. Nick Mullens is a nice story and a very good backup QB, but he had one great game against the Raiders that blinded some fans and now the expectations for him are out of control. They aren’t going to bench Garoppolo unless he has a complete meltdown and plays poorly for an extended period of time. They are all in on this guy for a reason. If he doesn’t work out it’s back to square one.

    1. Wishnowsky’s first punt miscue (real or not), will result in a surge in sales of #6 red piñatas…

  32. I think we should also give some credit to the Bucs defence. Two seasons ago, over a stretch of about 6 games or so they were the top defence in the league. They have talent there. It’s often porous, but I’d wager a good deal of that is due to the offence putting them in bad positions. They have speed and an excellent coach in Todd Bowles. I don’t think they’ll be a top unit statistically, because I think they’ll get tired later in the season when things go pear-shaped, but the Bucs will probably have the best defence in their division, or close to it. They’re better than “one of the worst in the league”, that’s for sure.

    1. I agree. They spent 4 picks on DBs, their main weakness. Bowles coached a good game.
      .
      Right now, I would say their biggest weakness is at QB.

  34. This was just click bait for Silver. However, I’ve seen enough praise from Grant for Mullen’s to suggest he actually thinks Mullen’s is the better QB. How crazy is that? Lynch took calls from many other teams about our back ups. No one would offer a 3rd round pick. If anyone would have thought Mullen’s was a starter, they surely would have offered a 3 rd round pick. Time to put this nonsense to bed.

    1. After watching the Bronco-Raider game, Flacco showed why the Ravens moved on to Jackson. Flacco is a statue, and gives no threat to run.
      .
      If Denver wants to win, Scangarello may want Mullens. If Dobbs deserves a 5th round pick, Mullens should command at least a 4th round pick. If the Broncos become desperate enough, maybe even a third. Of course, this should only be done, when JG shows he can play well, without being worried about his knee.

      1. No way you let a QB go who understand this offense the way Mullen’s does. Jimmy has a brace on his leg and his season like any football players is never guaranteed. If they want one of our back ups let them have CJ.

        1. CJB is an adequate backup. You do not want to automatically assume your starting QB will go down due to injury. Hopefully, JG starts all season, and leads the Niners to the playoffs.
          .
          If the Broncos become truly desperate, they may offer a second round pick for Mullens. That may be an offer too good to refuse.

          1. I see you’re escalating Nick’s value from post-to-post. Within a few hours, you’ll have Denver getting Mullens for their 1st pick in ’20, a 3rd and 5th in 21, and Bradley Chubb and Chris Harris.

  35. Jimmy G’s lack of intelligence on the field and in preparation (compared to Mullens) concerns me but I believe he is a superior QB in almost every other category. As I have written here before, Mullens is a very valuable QB and the 9ers should keep him around for as long as they can but if they ever want to win in the playoffs Jimmy G is their man. Although even sniffing the playoffs would be an accomplishment right now and I do believe that Mullens could take us that far.

    1. i dont understand people saying jimmy lacks preparation.i ask respectively no snark intended where did you read or hear this? is it true or rumor.
      >

      1. K, obviously he’s skated by up til now on his looks only. Yes, that’s snark, but probably a big rationale.

      2. TK,
        I don’t believe he lacks preparation. I believe he is not as smart as Mullens and therefore isn’t able to prepare as well as Mullens. I measure that by the mistakes he makes in his reads I.E his pick 6 last week. imho

        1. I dont see it as a matter of intelligence. I think it’s his talent ruling hia decision making. He knows he can make the highlight throws, so wants to make them. If that can be tempered just a little, it would be a great asset to have.

    2. This comment reminds of something Steve Young mentions often in his weekly KNBR shows. Playing QB in the NFL means memorizing a huge of plays and their associated verbiage, recalling them rapidly in the huddle, and communicating efficiently with the players about their respective roles.

      Thanks to our public school education, memorization is a lost skill these days. My kids barely can recall any of the arithmetic tables. According to Young, assimilating a playbook is as much about rote memorization and recall as it is about “football IQ”.

      Mullen may be better at memorization than JimmyG and worked on the playbook harder and over a longer period, but the latter will catch up after a while. Based on the small sample size that these two QBs have put on record, I have no reason to believe that one has significantly greater football IQ (ability to read D’s pre- and post-snap, for example) than the other.

    3. What reason do you have to believe JG lacks intelligence and preparation? When he was traded to the Niners, he came in and learned enough of the system in 4 weeks to become the starter and lead them to 5 wins. He only played 2 full games last season before tearing up his knee? What the hell is happening on this site? You guys are out of control with what you think you know compared to what you actually know, which isn’t much.

  36. I have no problem with Mullen’s coming in at all. Here is my question Grant, of all the news you put out there after a week one win you pick this. Has your glass ever been half full or is it always and I mean always half empty? Curious if your whole life is, or just Sports writing, not that I really care, but could make for a long day

  37. Nice article in the Athletic about the first trip to Jonestown with Joe Staley. He is the only one left from that first trip.

    Staley’s memorable remark:

    “Contrary to what everybody believes, we don’t suck,” (2011)

    Remember the Eagles game that year, it was the catalyst for self believing.

  38. I have never seen somebody hate so much on Garropolo, like Grant does. The only way Mullens would come in is if Jimmy gets hurt, apart from that Jimmy will be our guy for the next 4 seasons, so deal with it.

  39. One writer posting another writer’s material………that’s not a scoop or even offering facts….but is idle sitting-on-the-crapper speculation.
    That’s like going to a restaurant and having the daily special being take out from the place next door.

  40. If history is any indicator I would have Mullens becoming an expert on the Steelers defense as he maybe starting .
    Pats Jimmy 2 games and out, 2018 jimmy 2 and a half games and out.
    Hopefully this trend ends this year.

    1. I would say 4 playmakers for Bengals need to be game planned.

      Joe Mixon, Sam Hubbard ,Tyler Boyd and John Ross (!)

        1. Will he even play? No way they are benching Sherm and Akhello ….especially when they each got a Pick 6…..unless there is an injury.

          1. All true, I just think if you were going to pick out a guy from the roster who best matches up athletically and physically to a player like Ross, it’d be Verrett, although Williams may as well….

    2. The playcalling of McVay’s barista that includes lots of short passes that would mitigate Niners’ pass rush.

  42. Mike Silver says something about Team X that their fans don’t want to hear.

    Fans of Team X lash out and call him a hack and that it’s just clickbait.

    It’s a time honored tradition.

    1. I think CFC said it best.

      “JG will have to play down right putrid before he’s in any danger of being benched this year.”

      That’s more realistic to me.

    2. And judging by this site, just as many other fans of Team X go right on, Mr. Silver, you got that right.

      Jack what’s your point again? That humans have emotions that are easily triggered?

    3. The fans hear what they want to hear but in this case the whole thing was misrepresented by Grant Cohn so that likely confused some of them a little. Silver was not reporting anything. He was giving an opinion based on a hypothetical premise. If Garoppolo sucks for an extended period of time then sure he could get benched. You can insert any players name and make the same comment.

    4. There’s also a flip to Silver’ news – there are those here who enjoy hearing what he said, go figure.

  43. Grant and his loyal fans don’t need to run to Mike Silver for fresh servings of hawt takes. I got free hawt takes right here:
    “Niners starting QB averages a measly QB rating of 58 in preseason, including a 0.0 in the second game. In that game and at the beginning of the all-important third game, had a completion rate of 12%. Jimmy G: franchise QB or Bellichick snake-oil? Discuss!”

  44. Really the front office is a mess. They have 3 QBs on the roster when the 3rd QB could of been traded for a 5th round pick. They cant think they can get more than that for either one of those QBs Mullens and CJ. Now if thats not their intentions to trade then why keep 3 QBs. The report makes sense due to if JG struggles or playa bad and the team loses, then they will probably trade JG and keep the other 2 QBs. Now if he plays good then probably trade CJ by midseason.

    Its not silly at all to think JG job is safe. It doesnt matter if you have a winning record or not. The stats doesnt matter either. Its who the coach wants to play and have as the QB. The 49ers brass likes to gamble cause they gave him a big contract instead of waiting. Then they traded a 2nd round pick which is ok but should of just waited for the QB they wanted in Kirk. Shanny might get a pass and Lynch will get fired first IDK. Maybe Jed wanted JG and thats why they traded for him.

    1. Sorry to disagree, but the FO is not a mess. It is smart to have a third QB in reserve, since JG is coming back from an ACL injury.
      .
      It is also logical to assume ANY player in the league can be cut, if he sucks badly. Happily, JG led the Niners to victory, and moved on from adversity, staying calm after the pick six.
      .
      Now, if JG continues to throw pick sixes, he should assume he will be on the hot seat. Ball security is paramount. I am hoping he has learned from his mistake, and stops staring down his receiver.
      .
      They named JG as the franchise QB. Leaks, smears and backstabbing, was SOP for the Baalke regime, but the JL regime is past that, and will support JG. JL and KS are riding with JG, because he gives them the best chance to win. Mullens may be equal, or even superior in a couple categories, but JG fits best the role of leader, and winner.
      .
      So far, this post has garnered 156 comments, so Grant is happy, even though many will rip Silver’s assertions.

    2. where is it said we were offered a 5th round pick for our third qb. more rumor morphed into fact with no proof

  45. -So far this Post has garnered 156 comments –
    Yeah, a couple of dozen cringe worthy comments from you are helping out his click count while simultaneously lowering the overall IQ of the room. Congratulations, ?

        1. Well, you seem to bring even less than Chuckie.
          .
          Why don’t you talk about football? I could use a laugh.

          1. Sebnnoying you’ve tried to talk football your entire existence on here and you haven’t come close once.

            2. Before the game, I wondered- ‘ On defense, seeing how effective the DBs play, will probably determine the outcome of the game.’
              .
              That sounds like I was pretty close, because those pick sixes were the difference in the game.

  46. I’ve seen zero evidence to suggest Jimmy isn’t as smart as Mullens, or that Jimmy’s work ethic is not as good as Mullens. What I see is a guy with 12 or so NFL starts coming off a year removed from football due to a knee injury, plus he lost Scangarello, who may have been his primary asset in 2017. Just because Mullens seems to know the offense better doesn’t mean Jimmy isn’t as smart. He’s been in it 6 months longer, and he’s coming off a year where he ran the offense from November on.

    My take is this was Jimmy’s baseline performance, and he gets incrementally better with each successive game. As long as that happens, I think Shanny will be happy. The exciting part is just how much better he can be, and that the potential is there for that upward trajectory to continue throughout the season and into next year….

    2. I agree. By saying he lacks intelligence, it is the same as calling him dumb. Both are plenty smart, and both are a lot smarter than many other schlub backups in the league.
      .
      JG may not have studied and mastered the playbook like Mullens, yet, but he has also studied and mastered the Patriot playbook over several years. JG has the experience of winning a couple rings with that system, so maybe KS should poach some plays from a proven winner.

    3. Yes, I fully expect that JG will be hit and miss over the first half of the season, but generally trend upwards in performance, as he gets back into the swing of things.

  47. As Bosa’s ankle recovers, it’ll start to form a nice callus, ready for war and shorter recovery time each week.

  48. Really the 49ers don’t have a great QB and thats the truth. They have middle of the road, backup type QB on the roster. CJ would be PS player. Now they may fit other schemes better but in this one not so much. Now that could be because Shanny has a crazy play book or its just that hard to learn, IDK. He should make it fit the type of QB he has playing if he wants to win. JG is going on 2 plus years now with this playbook, this year their should be no excuses for him. Not the ACL injury or playing time or stats. If hes the great player that people say he is, then he should have it down packed. I think people are stuck with the 5 games he won in a row instead of the QB he really is. They would of probably lost that Bucs game if the defense didn’t step up. JG was not going to win that game. but lets see how the season goes on and see if he plays any better or stays the same

    2. I think most in here are not saying JG is great, if they are they are badly mistaken. Once again I think most are talking about potential and a lot of that talk is based on those five games, I see nothing wrong with that. He needs to play football, he has started 11 games spread over a few years, no continuity. By the way he is 9-2 and 7-2 with the Niners. I will take wins over stats any day. I am not sold on JG – yet, but I certainly want him to play some football before judgement is passed.

      I personally think Shanny was managing the play calling to minimize chances of hurting JG and to acclimate him back to football. That’s what a HC should do by the way.

    2. I look forward every week to this “Ted Talk” with video breakdown :-)
      Also checkout David Lombardi’s article showing a successful example of Saleh’s much-criticized zone dog play where Thomas drops back and (successfully) follows the TE around the field while the Warner blitzes the confused Winston.

    1. From the article:

      Cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon not only came away from season opener with the football from his pick-six but also Bucs star Mike Evans’ jersey.

      Witherspoon said Evans approached him afterward and asked if the 49ers knew the Bucs offense. That surprised Witherspoon, who replied that the 49ers simply were “playing ball.”

      Obviously that Pinion is a double agent! A two way gut spiller.

        1. Some would say it was staged–for what purpose and by whom is left the imagination of hot-take media types and cynical fans (or robot morons maybe?).

      2. Dang that Grant and his Butcher buddy boy. Now I pause before clicking that “I am not a robot” captcha.

  51. “49ers could bench Garoppolo if he struggles ”

    Ummm, isn’t that true for every player in the league.

    1. Rollo, according to Grant, Silver’s insight as “the most connected journalist in football”, is that the hook could come much sooner than expected. Apparently coaches have very hot takes too.

  52. Chris Biderman
    ‏@ChrisBiderman

    Also, heat could be a factor again. Early forecasts say temperatures could reach low 90s with ~60 percent humidity. Bengals are scheduled to wear their black uniforms allowing the #49ers to go with their road whites like they did in TB.

    1. The Niners should wear all green to blend in with the turf to confuse dem Bengals with camouflage.
      I approve of this message, /s/ Sun Tzu

      2. No, that is totally against what Bill Walsh believed in. He thought red was the best color, so the QB could see his receivers better.
        .
        JG has struggled to complete passes to his receivers, and you want to make it harder for him to find his targets.
        .
        With fans like you, who needs enemies?

  53. Lol I love it when these blowhards who never pay attention to any other team besides the patriots and cowboys weigh in on a team they never talk or think about.
    Espn, NFL network and others are a joke.

      1. Hmmm, my prediction came true.
        .
        Bosa got 2 sacks, although I think he should only be credited with one and a half. With production like that, he is in the running for DPOY.

  55. Maybe you guys can help me understand the out play that resulted in a pick six. This play seems to have a relatively high probability of resulting in an interception, which often turns into a pick six. I watched the replay in slow motion. It’s an anticipatory throw. Jimmy released the ball before both the receiver and the DB made a break to catch the ball. So when Jimmy released it, the DB was still traveling down the field. But just after the release the DB stopped and came back to the ball. Because of the time it took to get to the receiver, he was able to make an interception and pick six. At least that’s the way I saw it.

    So, given that the DB was still moving downfield, how does Jimmy know exactly whether or not that ball should be thrown? Should he have an idea of what the separation should be between the DB and the receiver, such that if the DB is able to stop and come back for the ball, he would be too far away and the ball would get to the receiver first. If so, then the stronger the QB’s arm, the less that separation can be.

    Since Jimmy has been intercepted at least twice for pick sixes on this kind of play, it seems to me that he should refrain from making this pass unless there is a wide separation between the receiver and DB. Also, I wonder if it is fair to say that a WR might have had a better chance of stopping that interception than Coleman.

    I’m also wondering if the perceived skill level of the receiver comes into play. For example, Mahomes made a fair number of these throws in the KC game and the receiver was pretty open on the play every time. My guess is that the DBs were too worried about getting ‘double moved’ by KC’s speedy receivers and kept a fair distance away allowing that throw to work. That wasn’t the case with Coleman, perhaps because he doesn’t strike the kind of fear into DBs that KC’s speedy receivers do.

    1. Next time I run that play, it won’t be near my goal line, and it’ll be a double move for a throw out in front where the rb can run underneath it….

      1. Yep, I agree. If the DB gets a pick six on it, then double move him the next time and wait until the DB “bites” before throwing it downfield.

        1. The pump fake move, followed by throwing the pigskin downfield, is an excellent idea. Except that the pump-faker needs to have a good enough arm to hit the receiver in stride after he takes off, hopefully leaving the db behind and not able to catch up. CJ is the only SF qb who has that throw in his arsenal. When was the last time you saw either JG or Mullens make that throw? If they tried it, it would fall short and there’d be four dbs camped under it, waiting for it to come down. JG had that throw, but he seems to have lost it. Mullens never did, which is why he was undrafted. Someone in the owner’s box saw Mullens hit George Kittle for a 50 yard touchdown and had an orgasm. Now Mullens has promoted himself onto the Hall of Fame watch list. Color me a non-believer.

          1. If you want to cut JG and Mullens, then Kaep is way superior to a 1-9 QB who has thrown more interceptions than TDs.
            .
            Since you like a strong armed QB, Kaep can throw the ball farther than CJB. ;p

    2. That wasn’t the case with Coleman, perhaps because he doesn’t strike the kind of fear into DBs that KC’s speedy receivers do.

      Especially, as KS said, Coleman had injured himself much earlier, the DBs might have suspected something was up with him. Not to mention a reduced ability to prevent the int.

    3. How about just not throwing off your back foot and floating the pass to the sideline?

      That seemed like more of a Nick Mullens or Shaun Hill noodle arm throw than a Jimmy G laser. He’ll do better as he gains more confidence to plant that front leg.

    4. I think that throw is more based on the coverage. If the CB is responsible for taking the WR running deeper then Coleman is free. But Hargreaves had help over the top so he was able to squat a bit and was ready to break quickly on anything thrown short.

      1. So, are you saying that Jimmy G didn’t know that the CB had help over the top or was somehow fooled? Is your response the “key” you think Jimmy would use to decide if he makes the throw (i.e. the CB has help over the top or not)?

        1. I’d have to rewatch it, but yeah, I think JG was expecting the CB to be responsible for the WR running deep and not be able to drive on the ball so easily.

      2. The book on SF’s two qbs is that they can’t throw the deep ball, so go ahead and “squat.” The 49ers might as well trade their deep threats–Beathard is the only qb who can reach them downfield.

  56. “The 49ers also aim for back-to-back road wins to start a season for the first time since the 1989 season.”

  57. Grant…

    Legit question–

    Is Kyle on the hot seat? Not one manufactured by some media types and (the few and the proud) non robot morons, but the ‘seat’ provided by the Yorks. Is he on the hot seat today?

  59. Mike Silver spreading rumors again? He put this out a couple weeks ago. And the closest thing he had to a source was “they won’t say publicly”. I’m sure no one has told him privately either. Good responsible journalism.

    Still don’t see a source in this interview either. If anything it sound like he’s making stuff up. I can say that “it isn’t far fetched that Tom Brady could be replaced this season” too. And that’s his basis on his “rumor”??

    At what point does anything he’s saying makes sense??

    Jimmy G and Nick Mullens have almost the same sampling size of play in games. Jimmy has won more games, thrown more TDs, more yards, higher percentage, less picks…am I missing something? Like many of you, I saw all of Nick Mullens games last year. He’s alright for a first year quarterback. I was tweeting “Nick Mullens Era”, but lets be real, I’m rooting for the team, so I’m rooting for everyone to exceed and succeed.

    If Jimmy G is under any pressure it isn’t because of Nick Mullens, but because of the whole team is under pressure. Everyone who’s name isn’t Jed York.

    The only reason why anything Silver has “reported” has any validation is because of the way his contract was written. 49ers signed him when they wanted him. If it doesn’t work out, the team can easily get out of the contract with very little damage.

      1. His whole argument is an assumption though.

        And the fact that he didn’t source anything makes it sound like a good assumption to me.

        1. I disagree with ya..If JimmyP struggles (and he is) and the team loses games its Kyle’s ass on the line…Kyle will put in the quarterback with the “hot hand” (Jim Harb’s term) to save his job you can bet on that…..Mullens is a better qB at this point injury or not…he reads the field better….has a better grasp of the plays and execution

          1. I don’t see where anyone can say Mullens has a hot hand. He lost five of his last six games. What’s hot about that? His last appearance in game 4 of the pre-season was such a sad joke that he got yanked so he didn’t get killed. He may have a good grasp of the KS playbook, but many pages are missing when he is in there–the pages that require a qb who can throw the ball downfield.

        2. It’s clear his sources don’t want him to cite sources. They don’t want the perception of leaks. They give him this information and tell him to report it as his opinion. This is how the industry works. Silver wouldn’t be where he is if he threw out baseless speculation. That’s beneath him.

          2. “This is how the industry works”

            How convenient. Just make stuff up and then say the source can’t be revealed. Or that’s how it works.

            I call BS!

            1. If Mike Silver made stuff up, he would have been exposed decades ago. He doesn’t need to make stuff up. He made it in the industry.

              1. He made it, but he has to maintain it. It’s a competitive business as you know.
                You are only as good as your latest breaking news story.

              1. Known leaker, likes to stab QBs in the back, and fits his MO, especially after the earlier report of friction between JL and KS.
                .
                I feel perfectly fine speculating that it was Paraag.

          4. That is not how this industry works. Yes, I am a journalist too. I’ve been working in news for close to 20 years. I have never known a news director to allow anything to go on-air without being sourced. That’s basic journalism.

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