The San Francisco 49ers made too many mistakes on Sunday, and when you do that against a team like the Minnesota Vikings, it should be no surprise when you come out on the wrong end of the final score. You can point to several mistakes as “the worst,” but Jimmy Garoppolo’s pick six is high on the list.
Mike Hughes consegue uma pick six no seu primeiro jogo.
— MVP - Minnesota Vikings Podcast (@VikingsPod) September 9, 2018
Bem-vindo novato!
Sköl #Vikings pic.twitter.com/P9leAUWasw
Garoppolo fired off the pass quickly in the face of pressure, looking for Kendrick Bourne. We see Bourne slip down, but even if he had not slipped, he was going the wrong way from the ball. There was clearly a miscommunication, and after the game, Bourne took the blame, telling Eric Branch:
“I was supposed to run an under route, Jimmy put the ball (inside) and I ran a hitch route (to the outside),” Bourne said. “Just a missed (assignment) by me. Just thinking of another play … Where he threw it was right, and I was wrong. It was on me. I told him I owe him one. I’ve got to get that play back. That’s stuff that can’t happen.”
Garoppolo met with the media after Bourne’s comments, and when told about them, Garoppolo said blame could be spread to both he and Bourne. He said that as the quarterback any interception falls at least partially on him.
The 49ers have six receivers, and Richie James drew the short end of the stick and was inactive. Considering Bourne’s miscue, might we see James active next Sunday against the Detroit Lions? There were plenty of other mistakes made during the game, but when you’re the fifth wide receiver on the depth chart, that’s one correction the coach can make in a hurry.