Titans vs. 49ers: Full Week 15 preview for San Francisco

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HOUSTON, TX – DECEMBER 10: Jimmy Garoppolo #10 of the San Francisco 49ers throws a pass in the second half defended by Angelo Blackson at NRG Stadium on December 10, 2017 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images /

Quarterback comparison

Jimmy Garoppolo is averaging 313.5 passing yards during San Francisco’s two-game winning streak

The rise in play from the 49ers since Garoppolo took over has been evident. First downs have been easier to come by, the defense is playing far less snaps then before and the efficiency of the offense has been elevated. Call it the “Jimmy G Effect.”

Oh, and they have won more games with Garoppolo in the past two weeks then they did over the first 11 weeks of the season. As a starter, Garoppolo is 46-70 for 627 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions.

There certainly are components of Garoppolo’s game that need to be worked on, but it is clear — San Francisco has found their franchise quarterback.

In a year with high expectations, it has been a let down from Marcus Mariota

The Titans are 8-5 and currently in the AFC playoff race, yet the team is trending in the wrong direction. Mariota’s struggles factor into this.

Not once this season has Mariota tossed more than two touchdowns in a game, and has posted four games with zero touchdown passes. The 14 interceptions for Mariota are a career-high, signaling an accuracy issue.

Mariota’s regression is clear and it is affecting the team, as Tennessee could only muster seven points last week against the Arizona Cardinals. This next game is a must-win for the Titans in terms of playoff hopes, and Mariota bares most of that burden.