The Baltimore Ravens had a plan for Jimmy Garoppolo. They were going to blitz the 49ers’ quarterback effectively every time he dropped back. Perhaps the only thing that kept Garoppolo from a big game through the air was the rain-soaked conditions at M&T Bank Stadium.
Baltimore sent extra rushers at Garoppolo on 84 percent of his drop backs Sunday according to ESPN’s Nick Wagoner. Garoppolo finished the game 15-of-21 for 165 yards and one touchdown overall. Most of that productivity came against the blitz thanks to the sheer volume of them dialed up by Ravens defensive coordinator Wink Martindale.
Per Wagoner, Garoppolo went 12-for-18 for 149 yards and a touchdown when the Ravens brought pressure. He was three-for-three for 16 yards when Baltimore didn’t blitz. The offensive line, tight ends and running backs deserve some credit for their quarterback’s production. They did a nice job in blitz pickup and bought him enough time to unload some money throws in a close game.
It wasn’t all good though. Garoppolo was sacked twice on blitzes and his crucial incompletion on fourth-and-1 late in the fourth quarter came with extra pass rushers bearing down on him. Those were the only sacks of the game for Baltimore.
Chances are the Ravens’ blitz-heavy game plan came partly as a result of trying to stop the 49ers’ rushing attack. They ripped off 6.0 yards per carry on 29 attempts Sunday.
Garoppolo on Sunday was good for the most part and didn’t seem impacted by the rain. However, he did have a few throws that appeared to get away from him, and the 49ers’ 25 drop backs may have been influenced by the downpour.
The good news for Garoppolo is that the blitz-heavy scheme didn’t adversely impact him much. It would’ve been bad news if the book on Garoppolo was to simply throw blitzes at him. The fact he handled that pressure on the road in the biggest game of the year is a positive step toward getting the signal caller ready for postseason games.