SANTA CLARA — The 49ers, as well as everyone else in the universe, knew Aaron Rodgers is better than any quarterback they have on the roster. Otherwise, they never would have made the offseason call to see if Rodgers’ problems with the Green Bay Packers were so serious that maybe he would be available by trade.
Kyle, Shanahan, the 49ers head coach, admitted this week it was a short conversation. Rodgers wasn’t a possibility. Rodgers drove home the reality of his own skill set when compared with Jimmy Garoppolo (with a dash of Trey Lance) in a 30-28 win over the 49ers Sunday night at Levi’s Stadium.
Garoppolo had recovered from a rough night that included a pair of turnovers and some off-target throws to drive the 49ers for a potential game-winning touchdown, throwing a 12-yard pass to Kyle Juszczyk with 37 seconds to play and the Packers left with no time outs. Garppolo had some clutch completions — 39 yards to George Kittle on third-and-10 from their own 25, 12 yards to Deebo Samuel and another 12 yards to Kittle.
None of which prevented Rodgers completing passes of 17 and 25 yards to Davonte Adams to set up Mason Crosby with a 51-yard field goal as the clock ticked to zero.
Besides a first half-interception and a lost lateral while under pressure that will draw scrutiny, the clock management police will be investigating Garoppolo. When the 49ers snapped the ball for the scoring pass to Juszczyk, there were still 12 seconds on the play clock. Maybe if Garoppolo had run down the clock a little more, Rodgers wouldn’t have had enough time to do what Rodgers does.
Jimmy G wasn’t so sure. Without a touchdown, the clock is meaningless. And the 49er needed a touchdown. Do you fault Juszczyk for breaking two tackles and scoring a touchdown when it was only first down? Of course not.
FOR THE LEAD!
📺 #GBvsSF on NBC pic.twitter.com/Ms6OZlO9Ez
— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) September 27, 2021
“We were kind of in a good rhythm,” Garoppolo said. “You’ve got the defense on their heels. It’s really hard to score in the red zone as it is. Do you want to let them catch their breath? When a guy catches it and makes a play like that you’re not going to be upset at scoring.”
Or as Shanahan put it, “We were hoping to take (the clock) down. But it was a hell of an effort by Juice to get in.”
In the end, it was Rodgers being Rodgers and Garoppolo being Garoppolo.
“It’s just tough when you’ve got a guy like Aaron on the other side,” Garoppolo said. “You leave him any amount of time, you never know what can happen . . . 36, 37 seconds. You’ve got to tip your hat to him sometimes.”
Rodgers finished 23 of 33 for 261 yards and two touchdowns. He also drew three pass interference penalties against a depleted 49ers secondary that totaled 81 yards. Garoppolo was 25 of 40 for 257 yards and two scores with an interception — a turnover in which he credited the Packers’ Jaire Alexander with an exceptional play coming off his own man to intercept a pass intended for Kittle.
“I thought Jimmy played well tonight,” Shanahan said, crediting the Packers for defending the screen that resulted in the lateral recovery and giving Alexander his due for the interception.
This wasn’t about Rodgers vs. Garoppolo, because it’s a mismatch in terms of fluidity within the system, creativity and game management. Rewind to 2019, and the 49ers abused Rodgers and the Packers once during the regular season and again in the NFC championship game. The quarterback at the time was Garoppolo.
The difference two years ago wasn’t in the quarterbacks, it was everything else. It was a 49ers offensive line opening holes for a running game to give Shanahan the balance he craves. That wasn’t in evidence Sunday night, as the Packers turned back the 49ers outside zone runs to the tune of 21 rushes for 67 yards, a 3.2 average yards per carry.
There’s a reason Shanahan values rushing attempts as a key statistic. Any time you see a gamebook with 40 passes and 21 rushes, for the 49ers, there’s a good chance they lost the game.
In 2019, the 49ers prevented Green Bay from running and then had Rodgers look more jittery and error-prone than usual with a brutal pass rush. The 49ers didn’t get the requisite pressure on Rodgers Sunday night, as he was sacked just once (by Aric Armstead in the first half) and hit only twice.
With additional time to pass, Rodgers had ample time to go after the 49ers cornerbacks. Adams was targeted 18 times and caught 12 passes for 132 yards including a 1-yard scoring pass for Green Bay’s first touchdown. He even returned after taking a fearsome shoulder shot from Jimmie Ward in the fourth quarter to make the two plays on the final drive.
The goal for the 49ers isn’t for Garppolo to suddenly become elite. If that was possible, they never would have drafted Lance. The goal instead is to get everybody better around him until such a time when Lance, the No. 3 overall pick in the draft, is ready for more than simply a cameo.
With Garoppolo struggling in the first half, it was Lance who came off the bench to score on a 1-yard run on third-and-goal from the on a short-field drive set up by Trenton Cannon’s 68-yard kickoff return. But Lance was on the field for only two more snaps afterward, the first ended up going as a quick snap to Juszczyk, the other was erased by penalty.
He’s officially been on the field for six plays in three games, so it’s clear Shanahan doesn’t think he’s ready for something more substantial.
Following the lost lateral which occurred during a heavy Green Bay rush and set up Crosby’s 38-yard field goal, Garoppolo did lead a a 75-yard, eight-play drive which could have won the game had it not been for Rodgers. Lance was watching closely.
“Jimmy’s a super resilient dude,” Lance said. “He showed that today and fought through a lot. A lot of guys kept us in that game. Right now, I’m trying to embrace my role and learn as much as I can.”
Rodgers is the defending MVP, but the 49ers begin NFC West play in Week 4 and get Russell Wilson. Then it’s Arizona with Kyler Murray, followed by a bye.
At that point does Shanahan consider switching from Garoppolo to Lance after five games? There’s no evidence at this point Shanahan thinks Lance is ready.
And if there is anything that was learned against Green Bay and Aaron Rodgers, it’s up to the 49ers to rally around their quarterbacks and provide support, not the other way around.
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