Does Jimmy Garoppolo Have an Accountability Issue?

The limitations of Jimmy Garoppolo are well-known.

He is not that mobile, lacks arm strength, and has overall inconsistencies with his accuracy all over the field. Still, he is a fairly decent quarterback despite these issues.

However, there is one issue to his game that is starting to be brought to light. That is issue is with accountability. In his Wednesday presser, Garoppolo was asked about the criticism he receives that he doesn't push the ball downfield enough. Here is his response to that.

“No. I mean, I just go with the plan that’s given. I think we've stretched them pretty well in some different aspects, but just whatever play’s called I'll go out there and execute it.”

An interesting answer from Garoppolo considering the shot plays or 10-plus yard routes are there. Check out this All-22 view against the Packers where Garoppolo completely misses Deebo Samuel going deep across the middle on a dagger route. Samuel becomes visibly upset that Garoppolo did not even look him over. I doubt the checkdown was the primary receiver on that play. It's clear that Garoppolo throws Shanahan under the bus here, whether it was intentional or not.

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Does Garoppolo have an accountability issue?

He just might.

It isn't just because he had a cop-out answer about the lack of balls thrown downfield. Earlier in his press conference, he had some eyebrow raising answers regarding his performance and leaving too much time on the clock.

With his performance, he thought he played "pretty good" which he definitely didn't. That first half was abysmal from him and the offense. Last I checked, you don't play "pretty good" for a game where you only showed up for one half. Garoppolo only cites the turnovers as his flawed play in the game, which is hysterical to hear.

The part that gets interesting is where he talks about the time on the clock when Kyle Juszczyk scored what would have been the game-winning touchdown.

“In the heat of the battle, yeah let the play clock run for a little longer. I don't know how much of a difference that would make, but there was just some situational football that I think as a team we learned how we can do better. If [FB Kyle Juszczyk] Juice gets tackled at the one, I mean, it's a whole different story. There's a ton of that stuff. But as an offense you're trying to score. And so to do that in the final 30 seconds or so, that's what we were trying to do.”

Well done Garoppolo. You completely exposed yourself with this answer.

"In the heat of battle" is where he gets me. Isn't the job of the quarterback to have full control and command of the offense? Shanahan has cited that about Garoppolo, yet at a time where he needed to showcase awareness, a critical quarterback trait, he completely lost himself in the moment. There was zero composure on his part as he hiked the ball with 12 seconds left on the play-clock. That is inexcusable.

For a guy who has spent time with Bill Belichick, Tom Brady, and now Shanahan, how does he let something so standard for a quarterback slide by him? And how does he have the gaul to say, "I don't know how much of a difference that would make" by burning more clock? Really? You are a starting quarterback in the NFL being paid a good fraction of the team's salary cap and you do not see the significance in time in the final minute of a close game?

"It's a tough line to play with, but yeah, I wish I would have let some time run off the clock, wish Juice would have gotten tackled at the one, but it is what it is. That's why we play the game.”

Unbelievable. Just say you messed that one up and leave it at that. You don't have to go and throw Juszczyk under the bus as well because he absolutely was correct in scoring. That is the true "heat of battle" that Garoppolo referenced earlier.

This is why I do not fully blame the defense for the loss against the Packers because Garoppolo and the offense failed in the first half and on that final drive by leaving excess clock on the board.

Fred Warner held himself accountable for the loss, so why can't Garoppolo?