4 simple reasons why 49ers beat Bengals in Week 14
By Peter Panacy
No. 3: Jimmy Garoppolo didn’t turn the ball over
He came close. But close only matters in horseshoes, hand grenades and bad breath. Only the analytics will talk about “near” interceptions.
Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo didn’t have anything close to a perfect game, nearly tossing what could have been a game-sealing interception in the fourth quarter, only to see it fall to the ground. He also had a fumble that he was fortunate enough to recover.
Yet Garoppolo made up for those gaffes with a perfect overtime drive, going 6-of-6 for 73 yards and culminating it all with an 11-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk.
Most importantly, Garoppolo didn’t toss an interception, and there’s a direct correlation between this stat line and San Francisco’s success this season.
The 49ers are a perfect 6-0 when Garoppolo doesn’t toss a pick. When he does, they’re 1-5.
Simple explanation.