The grumbling about Jimmy Garoppolo and the 49ers' offense started after Week 4 and grew into a dull roar by the time the Bears game kicked off on Sunday. However, by the time the game ended, the only sound coming from 49ers fans was adulation after a second-half straight out of 2019. Four true possessions. Three touchdowns, one field goal, and zero turnovers. It was the performance we’d been waiting to see for over a month.
“I think our team just needed a win,” Garoppolo said after the game, “Losing four in a row like that, you’ve got to do something about it, and I think our guys did. We came ready today. There was a good mindset on the sideline. Guys were talking, and you could feel each other. When we’re playing like that, that’s when we get dangerous.”
Garoppolo later added that Kyle Shanahan was “on fire” calling plays, and it showed. With all the talk about the team’s issues converting third downs, Shanahan decided to eliminate them entirely. As a result, San Francisco gained a first down or scored a touchdown on seven straight plays at one point in the second half. Things went so well that even Brandon Aiyuk got involved in the offense, notching season highs in yards (45) and targets (seven) while tying his season-high in catches (four).
Yes, it was against the Bears, and yes, they were missing some key pieces. But, guess what, so were the 49ers. Take a page out of the players’ book and just enjoy the victory. If the team had gone out and laid another egg like they did last week against the Colts, the fans (myself included) would be skewering Kyle Shanahan and company - and rightfully so. But they didn’t do that. Instead, the 49ers played their most complete, complimentary game of the entire 2021 season.
Will next week against Arizona be a lot tougher? Sure. We’ll have plenty of time to break that down. For now, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with sitting back, putting the feet up, and appreciating a victory. Especially with some leftover Halloween candy you just happened to have (and definitely didn't intentionally buy so that you’d have leftover Halloween candy).
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