Jimmy Garoppolo basically has been perfect in each start he’s made for the 49ers.
The young quarterback is 5-0 in games started for San Francisco, but the upcoming NFL season will be a test for the 26-year-old, as he enters his first season as the team’s starting QB.
One specific test will be adjusting to the defenses on the field, and teammate Richard Sherman identified something in Garoppolo’s game that might allow defensive backs to take advantage of the quarterback.
“When he takes his hand off the ball, you got to be ready to break,” Sherman said, per 49ers Wire’s Chris Biderman. “If he takes his hand of the ball, and doesn’t throw it, I think he’ll throw guys off.”
By mixing up how and when he releases the ball, Garoppolo could put himself at an advantage over the opposing defense, but he said he uses his technique against the defense because that’s what they’re expecting.
“Yeah, the defense has told me that,” Garoppolo said, via Biderman, of Sherman’s observation. “But at the same time, I use that against them because they’re thinking that. It’s a game of cat-and-mouse. It always is. They’re reading you, you’re reading them at the same time. It’s a ‘who flinches first’ type of thing. We’ve had some good battles and it’s been a good camp.”
It will be interesting to see if Garoppolo takes Sherman’s advice. If he can put opponents at a disadvantage with minor manipulations, he likely will have a successful season as the starting QB.
