49ers QB Jimmy Garoppolo ‘got really excited’ ahead of fourth-down penalty
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo committed multiple miscues during Sunday’s 23-17 postseason win at the Dallas Cowboys but seemed to ice the game away in the final minute via a fourth-down sneak that gained enough yards for a fresh set of downs. However, offensive tackle Trent Williams was correctly flagged for a false start, and that penalty gifted the Cowboys a final offensive possession they ultimately squandered.
According to 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan, Garoppolo and not Williams was to blame for what could’ve been a costly error.
“We just shifted to an unbalanced,” Shanahan explained, per Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk. “It was on the silent count and it was quarterback sneak all the way, but Jimmy got really excited because of the look. Didn’t let Trent get set. He’s got to let him get set. It ended up not being a problem though, would have been a struggle to answer that one if it was.”
Meanwhile, Garoppolo admitted “that’s pretty much what happened” after he was told about Shanahan’s comments.
Garoppolo completed 16-of-25 passes for 172 yards with no touchdowns and one interception in the victory over Dallas. The Niners likely will need him to be better if they are to notch a win at the Green Bay Packers this coming Saturday night.
