Jimmy Garoppolo has chance for bounce-back game vs. Rams on Monday

Jimmy Garoppolo was atrocious in the 49ers’ loss to the Broncos in Week 3, but history suggests he’ll be much better versus the Rams on Monday night.

The San Francisco 49ers have every right to be concerned about their offense scuffling over the course of 2022, particularly in the wake of needing to revert back to quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo after Trey Lance suffered his season-ending ankle injury in Week 2.

Garoppolo is who he is, and his first start of the year in Week 3 against the Denver Broncos did not go well at all, highlighted by his infamous stepping-out-of-the-end-zone safety and a too-predictable fourth-quarter interception after the Niners surrendered the lead.

However, quarterbacking isn’t a linear event by any means, and even so-so signal-callers are capable of having great games in response to truly putrid ones.

With the 2-1 Los Angeles Rams coming to town in Week 4 on Monday Night Football, Garoppolo’s need to at least be efficient and effective for a 1-2 San Francisco squad is obviously vital.

And, based on his history versus LA, there’s a good chance that winds up happening Monday evening.

Jimmy Garoppolo owns excellent track record vs. Rams

Sure, fans will most recently recall Garoppolo falling apart late during the 49ers’ fourth-quarter collapse against Los Angeles in the NFC Championship game last February, yet it’s worth identifying that particular game as the outlier and not the norm when evaluating Jimmy G’s overall performance against the Niners’ Southern California rivals.

For starters, Garoppolo owns a 6-0 regular-season record against LA. And while quarterback wins are a bit silly as an all-telling stat, it is something to note.

He has a 96.0 passer rating against the Rams, and while a 9-to-7 touchdown-to-interception ratio doesn’t look particularly great, it’s important to acknowledge five of those interceptions were between 2017 and 2019 when the makeup of San Francisco’s roster was notably different than it is now.

Perhaps what’s more telling is how Garoppolo was excellent in a similar “get right” game the 49ers needed to win a year ago over Los Angeles in prime time after a sluggish 3-5 start.

One which Niners Nation’s Jordan Elliott regarded as “Jimmy Garoppolo’s finest game of his NFL career.”

In particular, as Elliott pointed out, Garoppolo was excellent on third and fourth downs, ultimately influencing the much-needed 31-10 victory, sparking San Francisco’s turnaround that season.

Could a similar outcome be on the table in Week 4?

Jimmy Garoppolo should be in good position for 49ers vs. Rams

Yes, there are points of concern for Garoppolo and the 49ers this Monday. Los Angeles is right up there among NFL leaders in defensive takeaways with seven, and Jimmy G’s own turnover issues aren’t likely to just go away this week.

However, the Rams’ pass rush hasn’t exactly been a massive X-factor for a defense that is tied for the 13th most points allowed (70) on the year, registering a quarterback-pressure percentage of 11.4, dead last in the league.

And while LA’s seven sacks are squarely in the middle of the pack, defensively, the overall pressure isn’t always there.

Even with the Niners poised to miss All-Pro left tackle Trent Williams (ankle) for the next few weeks, at least Los Angeles’ pass rush isn’t looking to be overly prolific.

The Rams have been prone to giving up yards through the air, too, this season. Already to date, they’ve surrendered 758 pass yards, which is 11th most, and their third-down defense has been notably problematic with opponents successfully converting 47.4 percent of the time, 26th best.

Those figures play into Garoppolo potentially getting back into some sort of rhythm.

And, despite his ugly showing against Denver a week ago, Jimmy G’s track record against LA suggests he could end up looking much better en route to helping San Francisco get back into the win column on Monday night.