The San Francisco 49ers had a lot to play for Sunday. Perhaps quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, playing with a torn ligament in his thumb, had even more.
Throughout an up-and-down season for the 49ers, Garoppolo's performance often has come under fire -- especially from fans (and even "accidentally" from general manager John Lynch) -- who have called for rookie quarterback Trey Lance on more than one occasion. But in a must-win game on Sunday against the Los Angeles Rams, the former New England Patriots backup showed he still has some life in him.
The 49ers trailed 17-0 in the second quarter. But while they worked their way back, things still looked dismal with less than two minutes to play. With 1:27 remaining in the game, the Rams led 24-17, San Francisco was out of timeouts and needed to travel 88 yards for a tying touchdown. And they did, eventually winning in overtime on a field goal and clinching their spot in the playoffs.
Garoppolo finished with 316 yards, one touchdown and two picks on 23-of-32 passing.
"It took everything," Garoppolo said on the FOX broadcast. "We knew it was going to be a 60-minute game, a little extra in this case. We'll remember this one for a while. This is a special one."
Garoppolo admitted -- in an expletive-laden statement -- that his injured thumb hurt, but he was focused on the win. He now will have some time to recover before the 49ers (who finished at 10-7) face Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys in the wild card round.
The loss didn't have major implications on the Rams, who clinched the NFC West on account of the Arizona Cardinals falling to the Seattle Seahawks.
