Jimmy Garoppolo: 3 keys for 49ers QB in Week 7 vs. Colts

It appears the 49ers will roll with Jimmy Garoppolo under center again, and he’ll need to take care of these three elements in Week 7 versus the Colts.

Yes, one can fairly make the argument whether the San Francisco 49ers should formally and officially make the switch at quarterback from Jimmy Garoppolo to rookie Trey Lance, both in terms of Lance’s playmaking upside and the need to develop the No. 3 overall NFL Draft pick into the franchise’s centerpiece moving forward.

But it doesn’t appear that’s head coach Kyle Shanahan’s game plan, even after Lance got his first NFL start two weeks ago in a Week 5 loss to the Arizona Cardinals. And with Lance dinged up with a knee injury anyway, which ruled him out for Week 7, all signs are pointing towards Jimmy G getting the call for a prime-time Sunday Night Football matchup at Levi’s Stadium against the 2-4 Indianapolis Colts.

Garoppolo missed the final game before the Niners bye week, dealing with a calf injury suffered the week before. Yet he was able to practice this week, and Shanahan’s insistent comments about Garoppolo being the starter haven’t alleviated the controversy about what San Francisco will do under center.

In the interest of Garoppolo’s own value, though, it will be necessary for him to play a pivotal role in getting the 49ers out from underneath what’s turned into a three-game losing streak and a weakened grasp on a playoff push.

The Colts have plenty of their own issues, including injuries within their already questionable secondary. And while the record says a lot, they’ve also won two of their last three with the only loss during that timeframe coming in overtime on the road against the Baltimore Ravens.

If the Niners want to pull off a win in Week 7 over Indy, Garoppolo will have to execute these three elements Sunday night.