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San Francisco 49ers: 5 players who need to bounce back in Week 2 vs. Lions

By Peter Panacy

SAN FRANCISCO, CA - SEPTEMBER 16: Stefan Logan #11 of the Detroit Lions returning a punt gets tripped up by C.J. Spillman #27 of the San Francisco 49ers in the first quarter of an NFL football game at Candlestick Park on September 16, 2012 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - SEPTEMBER 16: Stefan Logan #11 of the Detroit Lions returning a punt gets tripped up by C.J. Spillman #27 of the San Francisco 49ers in the first quarter of an NFL football game at Candlestick Park on September 16, 2012 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /
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MINNEAPOLIS, MN – SEPTEMBER 09: Jimmy Garoppolo #10 of the San Francisco 49ers is sacked by Everson Griffen #97 of the Minnesota Vikings in the first quarter of the game at U.S. Bank Stadium on September 9, 2018 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Adam Bettcher/Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MN – SEPTEMBER 09: Jimmy Garoppolo #10 of the San Francisco 49ers is sacked by Everson Griffen #97 of the Minnesota Vikings in the first quarter of the game at U.S. Bank Stadium on September 9, 2018 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Adam Bettcher/Getty Images) /

No. 1: Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo

Well, quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo finally lost a start.

Good to get that out of the way, honestly, as the narrative would have been something of a distraction if it kept going much longer. That said, however, Jimmy G’s efforts against the Vikings were pretty poor.

His line? A lowly 15-of-33 passing for 261 yards, a touchdown against three interceptions for a passer rating of 45.1.

One of those picks, the one shown below, wasn’t necessarily on Garoppolo. Wide receiver Kendrick Bourne later admitted to running the wrong route, allowing Vikings cornerback Mike Hughes to pick off the intended pass and return it for a pick-six touchdown:

But the gaffe ultimately is reflected on Garoppolo, and he’ll look to get over the loss quickly and take advantage of a suspect Lions defense in Week 2.

That same defense allowed Sam Darnold to carve up Detroit’s defense for nearly 200 yards, two touchdowns and a passer rating of 116.8 in his NFL debut. And while Darnold did start off his NFL career by tossing a pick-six of his own, the fact he was able to rebound nicely and effectively lead the Jets offense throughout the rest of the game speaks well for Garoppolo’s chances in Week 2.

Garoppolo will need some help, however, including the aforementioned offensive line problems and the numerous drops San Francisco had both in the end zone and elsewhere.

If the Niners can shore up those gaffes from last Sunday, there’s little reason to assume Garoppolo will have an equally troubling game in Week 2.

The 49ers and Lions kick off on Sunday, Sept. 16 at 4:05 p.m. ET from Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara.

Next. NFL power rankings: Big 32-team overreactions for Week 2. dark

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