Jimmy Garoppolo and his “unsettled footwork”

The summer and NFL offseason are a great time to study players and get a better idea of who they really are. Mark Schofield writes for Pats Pulpit, but he also has experience breaking down quarterbacks. Schofield did a scouting series on San Francisco 49ers’ quarterback Jimmy Garopplo. In his first video, Schofield reviewed Garoppolo’s footwork on three consecutive plays dating back to Week 1.

Schofield gives us an outside perspective as well as a thorough explanation. There is some high quality analysis in these videos. When talking about footwork, Schofield quotes Football Guys writer Matt Waldman by saying, “footwork and the quarterbacks feet are a window into the quarterback’s mind.” The first play in the video below talks about Garoppolo speeding the play up, becoming inpatient, and eventually throwing an incomplete pass. Check it out:

The next play Schofield highlights Kyle Shanahan’s philosophy of “throwing out of heavy and running out of light” personnel, as it creates numbers advantages. This play is like the previous play where Jimmy rushes a bit. Mark had a good analogy where he said “it’s like he’s at dinner and his eyes are bigger than his stomach.” Schofield explains the footwork and ball placement, and why Jimmy missed the throw.

The consistency on these plays are Jimmy and his “unsettled footwork.” On the third throw, Jimmy “learned his lesson,” as Schofield puts it. The difference is simple. All Jimmy does is reset his feet, which allows him t slow down and deliver and accurate pass for a touchdown. The first two plays Garoppolo was in a rush when he didn’t need to be.

Garoppolo showed improvement on three consecutive throws.

While Tampa Bay was Jimmy’s first start, we did see him playing a faster than he needed to throughout the season. When Garoppolo is on time and in rhythm he’s great. It’s when Jimmy G had to come off his first read where he’d speed his processes up and throw his timing off, which would throw his mechanics off. In 2020, Garoppolo’s consistency in the pocket will be the key to him growing as a player.