5 biggest reasons behind SF 49ers ugly start to 2020 season

No. 3: Inconsistent quarterback play from SF 49ers

The first half of the game against the New York Jets felt like a bizarre one for so many ways, mostly because of the massive number of injuries the SF 49ers sustained, but also because it seemed like Jimmy Garoppolo had overcome his clearly injured leg and broken out of whatever funk he was in during Week 1.

The signal-caller would miss the next two games, during which the Niners would get two very different versions of backup quarterback Nick Mullens, both the excellent (25-of-36, 343, one touchdown in Week 3) and the horrid (18-of-26, 200 yards, one touchdown, two picks in Week 4).

And then the SF 49ers got to see C.J. Beathard in spurts for both games, who lead an almost-comeback on Sunday Night Football against the Eagles in Week 3 before being put out there to be the human crash-test dummy in the second half of Sunday’s blowout loss to Miami.

Outside of Garoppolo’s good half in Week 2 and Mullens’ game in Week 3 (which honestly mostly took place in the second half), the Niners haven’t had the shiniest quarterback play in the league so far in 2020.

Combined the group has completed just 64.8 percent of its passes for 1,313 yards, seven touchdowns, and five interceptions, with a quarterback rating of 88.6 while taking 18 sacks for 137 yards.

Those numbers, even when putting those sack numbers back in, are only good for 16th in the NFL and are still behind two teams who have only played in four games in Buffalo and Green Bay.

When looked at in yards per game, the SF 49ers are 20th.

The offensive line, as we’ve already addressed, has to shoulder some of the blame for this without question, but the quarterbacks aren’t exactly covering themselves in glory even when they aren’t under duress.

Garoppolo, for one, has a completion percentage of 59.6 when in a clean pocket, per Pro Football Focus, well below the team’s average and good for fifth worst in the league. Mullens is at 73.9 percent (15th, if you remove players with just one or two attempts), while Beathard is 72.0 percent (21st).

The line needs to step up to be sure, but something is going on between the ears for all of the quarterbacks for the SF 49ers and it will be up to them, Garoppolo especially, to right his particular ship to get the season back on track.