Jimmy Garoppolo’s 27 passes in two playoff games have raised doubts about the 49ers’ offense in the build up to Super Bowl LIV on Feb. 2 in Miami. San Francisco started running the ball 76 percent of the time just in time for the 49ers to be on the national stage in their two playoff games. The result has been a lot of opining and speculation about whether Garoppolo’s right arm can win a Super Bowl for the 49ers.
Right tackle Mike McGlinchey doesn’t share those concerns about the quarterback. The second-year offensive lineman on Wednesday joined Damon, Ratto and Kolsky on 95.7 The Game in San Francisco, and detailed why he and the 49ers offense have faith in Garoppolo.
“One, he’s the best guy ever and he’s unbelievable,” McGlinchey said. “He prepares unbelievably. He’s cool, calm and collected in those big moments. And two, and most importantly, is his track record. Like, four or five different times this year he’s come through in the clutchest of ways. I don’t know what games people have been watching. I mean, obviously the last two are the most nationally recognized games because of the playoffs, but, I mean, if you go back over our 16-game regular season, Jimmy Garoppolo shows up all over that tape. And he’s won us huge, playoff-like games in New Orleans and Seattle, beaten Arizona with his arm twice because of the way the game worked out … and multiple other times throughout the year as well.
“We have the utmost confidence in Jimmy. I don’t know why everybody keeps bashing on him or not believing in him because he’s done it time and time again. But that doesn’t matter. We’re gonna take what we have, and what we know we have is a great quarterback in Jimmy, down there to Miami and hopefully get our jobs done.”
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Garoppolo tied for the league lead in fourth-quarter comebacks with four, and he was tied for second with four game-winning drives.
When it’s come down to it this season, the 49ers haven’t hesitated to lean on their franchise quarterback. A two-game sample in the playoffs is not an indicator of lost faith, especially when considering his performances in the games McGlinchey mentioned. Or his game-winning touchdown strike to Dante Pettis in Week 3. Or his game-winning drive in a must-win game against the Rams at home in Week 16. He converted two third-and-16s on that series.
While Garoppolo’s first two playoff games left something to be desired from a production standpoint, it’s clear the team hasn’t lost faith in its quarterback. McGlinchey’s recall of Garoppolo’s heroics throughout the season are an indicator of the larger picture the 49ers are pulling from. They’re not caught in the moment of the postseason, and if the Super Bowl comes down to a big play from Garoppolo, they have plenty of moments from this season as evidence that he’ll come through.
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