“The pieces are all finally coming together”

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo sat down with James Jones and NFL Network to talk about his injury and how he’s progressing, which receivers have stood out, and about every topic imaginable. It’s a six-minute segment, so it’s packed full of information.

On which receivers stood out, Garoppolo highlighted how physical Deebo Samuel is, and how that helps him get open in his routes. He also mentioned the versatility that Jalen Hurd has, and he’s coming along nicely. It’s clear that Kyle Shanahan loves the physicality of both. If Hurd is in the game, it’s a run play so he can block, or a screen to him. Hurd looks massive compared to some of the other skill players on the team.

When asked about where he’s at with his progression on learning the offense, Garoppolo cited how the non-scripted portion of practice is helping him learn. Samuel said the same thing yesterday. There is a portion of practice where the offense is trying to play as fast as they can with Shanahan barking out plays. You’ll see players scrambling to get lined up. They’re not at the point where its muscle memory yet, so I understand what both players are saying.

Garoppolo also mentioned how the defense is helping the offense improve. Naturally, the pass rush is the first thing that comes up. It’s impossible to talk about the defense without a mention of Nick Bosa. He’s strong, but he’s quick. Bosa has a repertoire of pass rush moves that, unless your name is Joe Staley, you’re probably going to struggle.

Garoppolo went on to talk about the expectations for the 49ers. They’re the trendy pick to improve and sneak into the playoffs this season. Garoppolo said that the Niners putting pressure on themselves is the most important thing. Which is true, outside noise is just that. You control what you can control and go out there and compete. The talent is there. The pieces are all finally coming together. Now it’s time to win.

Check out the full interview below: