San Francisco 49ers: The Jimmy Garoppolo Era Begins This Week
The San Francisco 49ers head to Chicago, Illinois to face the Chicago Bears. Illinois is the home state of Jimmy Garoppolo, where an era begins.
The San Francisco 49ers are headed into the Jimmy Garoppolo era, whether you like it or not. After acquiring him from the Patriots fore the NFL trade deadline, there was much talk about when we would see Garoppolo make his first start.
Well, that time is now.
Garoppolo will be making his first start for the 49ers against a Chicago Bears team that is at the bottom of their division with a record of 3-8. The Bears have lost four straight, but they have won two games at home.
The 49ers have yet to win a game away from home this season, but with Garoppolo starting, many believe the 49ers will be 2-10 after this week.
With that in mind, let’s get into the preview points!
The Quarterbacks
Compared to other horrible quarterback situations and match-ups around the league, this one will actually be fairly interesting.
This match sees Bears rookie quarterback Mitch Trubisky squaring off with 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, as previously mentioned.
Considering one is a rookie and the other is heading into his prime, we will be watching a game featuring two potential future stars of the league.
Let’s also mention the fact that the 49ers passed up on Trubisky in the 2017 NFL Draft. They traded down with the Bears to take defensive end Solomon Thomas with the third pick instead.
Trubisky may have a little revenge on his mind and may be looking to make the 49ers pay for passing on him.
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Currently, Trubisky is completing 53 percent of his passes ( 94/78) for 1,135 yards, and has thrown four touchdowns and four interceptions. But, also keep in mind that he was the backup for Mike Glennon until the switch had to be made.
For the 49ers, Garoppolo only came in for three plays in the final minute against the Seattle Seahawks when quarterback C.J. Beathard went down with an injury. Garoppolo was 2-2 for 19 yards and threw a touchdown with no time left on the clock.
Who will be victorious after this one?
Running Backs in the Receiving Game
Both of these teams have been hammered by injuries, but receivers is an area that really sticks out. The Bears lost Kevin White (again) to a season-ending injury while the 49ers lost Pierre Garcon for the year to a season-ending neck fracture.
Marquise Goodwin is San Francisco’s best receiver, and for the Bears it would be Kendall Wright, both of them having great speed.
However, the running backs in the receiving game should be a key to watch.
More from San Francisco 49ers
- 49ers sign new long snapper amidst a flurry of roster moves
- 49ers: George Kittle and Deebo Samuel cleared to return to practice
- 49ers expected to place DE Dee Ford on injured reserve
- 49ers sign TE Daniel Helm off the Buccaneers practice squad
- 49ers: Jordan Reed could miss up to two months, will be placed on IR
For the Bears, Tarik Cohen burst onto the scene almost immediately. He has been a solid option in the run game, but his stats in the passing game stand out way more. He has 35 catches on 49 targets for 267 yards and one touchdown.
The 49ers need to be aware of the Bears leading receiver in Cohen, and the same goes for Chicago.
The 49ers best offensive threat is obvious at this point: running back Carlos Hyde.
He is their best rusher by a long mile and thanks to injuries, he has become the leading receiver for the 49ers. He has 49 catches on 72 targets for 295 yards but no touchdowns. The reception amount could be much higher if Hyde hadn’t dropped numerous passes.
However, Garoppolo should utilize Hyde’s dual threat ability as much as possible as it will take a ton of pressure off his back.
Key Team Stats
Points per game: 49ers 17.0, Bears 16.1
Points Allowed per game: 49ers 25.8, Bears 22.9
Total Yards: 49ers 344.7, Bears 304.6
Yards Allowed: 49ers 385.1, Bears 345.5
Next: 3 WR'S 49ers Should Target
Predictions:
Final: 49ers 30, Bears 24
Quarterback Battle: Garoppolo comes out on top, throwing three touchdowns
Leading Rusher: Carlos Hyde
Leading Receiver: Tarik Cohen (49ers have struggled containing RB’s, see Washington game)
Leading Tackler: Reuben Foster (he just won NFC Rookie of the Month for November)