HOUSTON — Here is a recap how 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo fared in Saturday night’s 16-13, exhibition loss against the host Houston Texans:
STAT LINE: 10-of-12 for 136 yards, one touchdown, one interception, no sacks, 106.9 rating.
MR. CLUTCH: Garoppolo handled stressful downs with aplomb, completing all six of his third-down passes (82 yards) and a fourth-and-one, backside pass to Kyle Juszczyk (24 yards).
And just like that, the #49ers are on the board.
Jimmy G 👉 @Trent5Taylor in the opening drive of #SFvsHOU! pic.twitter.com/STQkwZQsOw
— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) August 19, 2018
TOUCHDOWN THROW: Garoppolo took a shotgun snap, looked right, looked right again, looked over the middle, and on his fourth read, spied Trent Taylor cutting across the back of the end zone and fired a 2-yard touchdown pass.
”They had good coverage down there, Trent was later in my progression, so he had longer to get open,” Garoppolo said.
Taylor, actually, didn’t take much time.
”I got open a little too quick because I was one of the last reads on the play,” Taylor said. “So I was just running in the end zone like, ‘Please throw me the ball! please throw me the ball!’ Then luckily he found me so it worked out.”
COACH’S CRITIQUE: Kyle Shanahan said Garoppolo needs to improve going through progressions, his most critical comments yet on the QB.
“It’s not always perfect. It’s what we’re trying to get him to do better and better each week,” Shanahan said. “Sometimes he doesn’t always go through it right and still makes some plays.
“We’re hard on him about that stuff. By no means was it perfect. There was a number he could do better on. There were a couple times he didn’t do perfect, but he made plays and kept us on the field. You’ve got to take the good with the bad and keep coaching.”
POCKET PRESENCE: Mobility is not an issue for Garoppolo, and neither was the Texans’ pass rush, thanks to solid blocking and the inactive status of J.J. Watt and Jadeveon Clowney. Bravo to the starting line (left to right) of Joe Staley, Laken Tomlinson, Weston Richburg, Mike Person and Mike McGlinchey. Person was replaced by Joshua Garnett after the first series.
FOURTH-DOWN FIND: Garoppolo’s patience paid off again on fourth-down, when he initially looked left before finding Juszczyk wide open on the right side for a 24-yard completion to the 2. Garoppolo got that pass off just as his legs were being grasped by linebacker Duke Ejiofor.
TWO INCOMPLETIONS: The first incompletion narrowly missed Pierre Garcon on second down in Texans territory. The other incompletion resulted in the interception.
SIDELINE SHOW: Before taking the field for their first snaps, Garoppolo went up to each offensive starter and slapped hands. As the game came to an end, Garoppolo watched on the sideline next to Joe Staley, and both posed in the same fashion with their hands on their respective jersey’s collars.
WARM-UP BOMB: Garoppolo capped the pregame warmup by attempting a 50-yard pass down the right sideline to Goodwin, who didn’t catch it and adeptly avoided the Texans doing their own warmups. But they hooked up for a 40-yard completion on third down on the opening series.
“He’s so fast I feel I can throw it as far as I can and he’ll go get it,” Garoppolo said.
FASHION SHOW: White, Nike cleats, white wristbands and a white, short-sleeved undershirt complemented his white, No. 10 jersey with gold pants and red knee-high socks that were covered from the calf by white socks.
