Jimmy Garoppolo and his San Francisco 49ers continue to harras the NFL. The 49ers defeated Arizona Cardinals on the road last night with 28-25 in a match marked by their quarterback.
Garoppolo threw 4 touchdown passes, was impeccable on the field, setting his new career-high passer rating of 136.9.
“He played great today,” coach Kyle Shanahan said. “He made a lot of plays in rhythm and made a lot of off-schedule plays. … I thought Jimmy played a hell of a game. His best game yet, probably.”
The 49ers seized the control of the game in the second period, once they created the difference. Back then, Garoppolo threw two TD passes, one to Kendrick Bourne for 7 yards, while his second was to Emmanuel Sanders for one yard. We need to stress out that Sanders had a very good performance, posting 102 yards in seven receptions and one TD.
Along with George Kittle, who had 79 yards in 6 catches, he was the primary target of his QB.
“Yeah, he’s pretty good,” Kittle said. “I don’t know why people don’t think he is. He makes some pretty gutsy throws out there, doesn’t he? Goodness gracious.”
Jimmy G ended the night with 317 yards, completing 28 of his 37 passing attempts.
Arizona had a strong push in the final period, which they’ve won 11-0. Kyler Murray found the rookie WR andy Isabella for an 88-yard touchdown. Following that, the Cards went for a two-point conversion and successfully executed the same.
With 4:53 until the end, the 49ers got the ball and never gave it back. It was solely because of Garoppolo’s effort. San Francisco’s QB had to be extra inventive, as Matt Breida couldn’t help his team too much. Two major third-down conversions Garoppolo initiated finding his teammates were, in fact, the crucial moments of the entire event.
What is the positive thing for the Cardinals is the fact that they got a big plus in Kenyan Drake. The running back who arrived from Miami had 11 rushing yards, and 52 through the air, showing that the move to Arizona might have been a perfect thing for him. His first snap was 35 yards long, and eventually, he scored on the opening drive of the game.
“That’s what we expected from him, why we traded for him,” Cards head coach Kingsbury said of Drake. “His skill set is perfect for what we do.”
San Francisco is 8-0, and in a perfect position to improve that score. The 49ers are playing their next three games at home, as Shanahan’s crew already had five road matches. The first rivals are going to be the Seattle Seahawks; after that, the Cardinals are coming to town to play their second matchup of the year.
Meanwhile, Arizona (3-5-1) lost its second consecutive match but showed that they know how to pressure one of the best teams in the league. This young team needs some consistency, and when they get that and the experience, Murray and the company will be a tough nut to crack for any side in the NFL. Their next opponent is Tampa Bay on the road.
