49ers vs. Lions: 5 Niners who impressed most in Week 1 win

No. 1: 49ers Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo

Rookie quarterback Trey Lance might get the credit for scoring the 49ers’ first points of 2021, a 5-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Trent Sherfield.

But that shouldn’t take away the fact Jimmy Garoppolo was pretty masterful in his own right.

Yes, there was an off-target pass or two where Jimmy G failed to hit his receiver in the intended space, although the multitude of those off passes certainly seemed less frequent against Detroit than they were either last year or even in 2019. On top of that, Garoppolo’s command of the huddle was on point, and the lone sack he took came by the way of an unblocked player rushing on a play-action attempt.

Hard to fault Garoppolo for taking that sack there with the added time in the pocket because of the play action.

Yet Garoppolo’s overall impact and stat line — 17-of-25 for 314 yards, a touchdown, zero interceptions and a 124.2 passer rating — should point out how well he played. The last time Garoppolo passed for as many yards was back in that memorable 2019 game on the road against the New Orleans Saints.

The Niners should be plenty glad Garoppolo was at his best in a game where their defense began to collapse late.