SANTA CLARA — Kyle Shanahan’s lips moved and his words were heard loud and clear Thursday: He has no communication issues with Jimmy Garoppolo.
Now, does that mean Garoppolo was or wasn’t frustrated about Shanahan’s play calls in Sunday’s loss at Denver? A close-up video of Garoppolo after his fourth-quarter interception led to wild speculation. A viral tweet read Garoppolo’s lips as saying: “All of your plays suck man.”
“First of all, the clip to me is a joke. I can’t believe we’re talking about it,” Shanahan said before practice. “Pretty sure that’s not what he said. But we were extremely frustrated the whole game.”
“All of your plays suck man.”- Jimmy G pic.twitter.com/7BAe0dUC3s
— Brooks Anderson II (@BNAmusic88) September 27, 2022
Garoppolo told The Athletic’s Matt Barrows that he hasn’t seen the clip nor is he sure what he muttered after that interception which sealed an 11-10 defeat.
“I know the clip you’re talking about,” Shanahan added. “I’ve got it on my notes before this press conference. But I’m not a very good lip reader and I probably won’t watch it.”
The crux of this issue is whether Garoppolo, in his reboot as the 49ers’ starting quarterback, is eschewing Shanahan’s play calls. A week ago, Garoppolo opined for the “freedom” to play in a less structured way.
What kind of give and take does Shanahan have with him?
“Like it is with one of my friends,” Shanahan responded. “Jimmy and I are around each other every day, so there is not any awkwardness from us or anything kept from each other.”
“There’s frustration with our whole team.”
The 49ers (1-2) host the Los Angeles Rams (2-1) on Monday night.
Shanahan’s offense ranks 24th in yards per game, and their 15.7 scoring average is tied for the fourth-worst in the NFL.
#49ers Kyle Shanahan pre-practice report
Not practicing:
DT Arik Armstead (foot)
LT Trent Williams (ankle)
RB Davis-Price (ankle)
LB Al-Shaair (knee)
TE Kroft (knee)
TE Dwelley (ribs)Limited:
G Dan Brunskill— Cam Inman (@CamInman) September 29, 2022
MR. SEPTEMBER
Punter Mitch Wishnowsky is the NFL’s Special Teams Player of the Month for September, for the second straight season. How so, when his 44.3-yard net average only ranks 11th and his 46.8-yard gross average is 16th? A few reasons to state his case:
— Of Wishnowsky’s 14 punts, six have pinned opponents inside their 10-yard line, including 3-of-7 on Sunday in Denver (and excluding his career-long 74-yard punt into the end zone in the first quarter). Eight of his punts were downed inside the 20.
— Opponents have returned only three of his punts, with a 3.0-yard average that ranks as second-lowest in the league.
— No punt nor kickoff has been returned for a touchdown in the NFL through three weeks.
— His four-year, $13 million contract extension two weeks ago has no bearing on the NFL’s award (it’s a public relations gesture and doesn’t come with a certificate).
KITTLE’S STREAK
Tight end George Kittle has scored a touchdown in each of the 49ers’ last four home games against the Rams.
Since 2017, no one has produced more against the Rams than Kittle’s 49 catches for 706 yards and five touchdowns. Of his 12 career 100-yard games, four are against the Rams, who limited him to 10 yards (five catches) in the 2021 regular-season finale and 27 yards (two catches) in the ensuing NFC Championship Game.
Kittle, after missing the first two games this season with a groin injury, debuted Sunday in Denver with 28 yards (four catches, five targets). He played 51 of 56 snaps.
EXTRA POINTS
— The 49ers’ defense is forcing opponents to go 3-and-out (no first downs) a league-best 44.1-percent of the time (15-of-34 drives).
— A win Monday night — the 49ers are 1-point favorites — would give the 51 all-time wins on “Monday Night Football,” tying them with the Pittsburg Steelers for the most in that spotlight; the Dallas Cowboys are third with 49 wins. The 49ers are 4-3 at Levi’s Stadium on “MNF” and 10-4 in their last 14 games on Monday nights.
— The 49ers held their Crucial Catch Fashion Show on Wednesday night, pairing players with cancer warriors. Right tackle Mike McGlinchey co-hosted the event, and among the players involved were Arik Armstead, George Kittle, Daniel Brunskill, Fred Warner, Oren Burks, Emmanuel Moseley, Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles, Taybor Pepper, Spencer Burford, Leroy Watson and Alfredo Gutierrez.
