How an ‘unspoken’ bond made 49ers’ Kyle Shanahan and Jimmy Garoppolo a ‘great tandem’
It has gotten to the point where, at times, words aren’t needed anymore.
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo and head coach Kyle Shanahan are on the same wavelength. Their thought processes overlap even without having a conversation.
It has helped lead the team to this point, a berth in Super Bowl 54 against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday at Hard Rock Stadium.
“That’s kind of the relationship that we have,” Garoppolo said. “There are some things that are unspoken, whether we’re thinking the same thing or see the same thing on the field, there are no words needed. I think that makes us a great tandem.
“We’ve gotten to the point where when he’s calling plays and he’s in a rhythm, I can sense that and get a feel for what’s coming,” the quarterback continued. “Sometimes, he’ll throw you off to keep you guessing a little bit, but I love the relationship that we have. It’s honest and genuine. That’s all you can ask for.”
Externally, both exude laid back, go-with-the-flow natures.
Internally, the drive is much more fierce. Perfection is all that’s accepted.
“Our personalities match well,” Shanahan said, “and we hope to bring out the best in each other.”
And while the run game has been the 49ers’ driving force to the team’s second-ranked scoring offense (29.9 points per game) and fourth-ranked offense in yards per game (381.1), Garoppolo has made an impact as well.
The 28-year-old quarterback, only a year removed from a torn ACL that limited him to three games in 2018, completed 69.1 percent of his passes for 3,978 yards and 27 touchdowns against 13 interceptions.
But during their postseason wins over the Minnesota Vikings and Green Bay Packers, Garoppolo has thrown just 27 passes while the run game and defense has carried the 49ers.
Garoppolo has heard the criticisms, about the team in general and him in specific.
He doesn’t care. The 49ers made it to the Super Bowl one year after going 4-12.
“I mean, whenever you have people hating on you as a team, it’s always a good thing,” Garoppolo said Tuesday, “because they’re not going to hate on a bad team. It’s been a hell of the year. Just starting from the beginning. People are predicting us to be 2 and whatever or three and whatever and getting to where we are now. We’ve come a long way.”
Shanahan tries to laugh those comments off. He has never needed to have a conversation with Garoppolo about the 49ers about the game plan and that “Jimmy should never apologize for us running the ball too well.”
TRANSITION
“There’s no BS to Jimmy,” Shanahan said. “You don’t have to play any games with him. You don’t have to sit there and tell him how much you care about him or anything. He knows we’re good. He doesn’t have to tell me anything either. We’re all right. We stay together. I coach him hard when I need to. I’m cool with him when I don’t need to be. Every day is kind of the same. Jimmy is very hard on himself. He likes you to get onto him because it helps him focus, just like me also. Jimmy goes as hard as he can. We’re both ourselves. We don’t deviate from that at all.”
That’s why, three years later, this relationship has panned out in a way Shanahan could have only dreamt after trading for him with the New England Patriots.
Garoppolo had the physical qualities Shanahan wanted.
A true passer. Someone who can make the tough throws. Someone who doesn’t let the stage get to big for him when the big situations arise.
“All that goes hand in hand,” Shanahan said. “Everything after that is bonus. You need a guy who can handle the pressure. It doesn’t matter how talented you are. No matter what you are. There’s going to be a time where you lose a few games in a row where the whole world is going to come down on the quarterback regardless. You need guys who can handle that and playing football is important, not just being told how good they are.”
And on the other side, Garoppolo individually and the 49ers overall has benefited from Shanahan’s leadership as head coach.
He has found ways to lift up the team, whether he has to speak or not.
“Kyle does a great job of feeling the team, feeling the room, the vibe of everyone,” Shanahan said. “He always seems to say the right thing in the right moment.”
This story was originally published January 31, 2020 at 12:52 PM.
.JPG)