San Francisco 49ers: Top 5 takeaways from Week 12 loss to Seahawks
By Peter Panacy
No. 1: How Do the 49ers Go Back to C.J. Beathard Now?
Kyle Shanahan is going to have a tough decision to make between now and Week 13.
Jimmy Garoppolo came in for C.J. Beathard late in the fourth quarter, as Beathard was forced to leave due to a knee injury. Garoppolo saw just two snaps and went 2-of-2 including a last-second touchdown pass to wide receiver Louis Murphy with time expiring.
OK, small sample size, but this was the kind of impact play Beathard couldn’t manage throughout the entirety of his time on the field.
Shanahan’s dilemma might be answered simply by the fact Beathard remains questionable, thus putting the head coach into a situation where there isn’t any other answer but to start Garoppolo.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport later went on to describe the context of the situation:
It seems as if injury will be the deciding factor here, meaning Beathard could end up starting Week 13 if healthy.
But is that the right thing to do?
Many of the 49ers’ issues seen in Week 12 probably wind up continuing over the course of the season — a poor offensive line, lack of playmakers on offense, etc. Yet putting Garoppolo into real in-game reps is crucial for his understanding of Shanahan’s offense.
Next: Seahawks vs. 49ers: Full Week 12 grades & analysis for San Francisco
Based off the small amount seen from Garoppolo in Week 12, it’s going to be very difficult to go back to Beathard from this point onward.