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Shanahan should base his quarterback decision on who gives his team the best chance to win

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SANTA CLARA – The decision might well be made for Kyle Shanahan if rookie C.J. Beathard’s left knee has serious damage after Seattle defensive end Michael Bennett laid into him with 1:07 left in the game. If that’s the case, then it’s Jimmy Garoppolo’s team. If not, then Shanahan must once again decide between his two quarterbacks and the same predicament will confront him.

Beathard knows the offense better and the players have taken to him because of his toughness, willingness to take a hit and calm demeanor. However, Beathard only played well in one game, the team’s lone win over the Giants.

That’s where Shanahan has to determine how much of his poor play is due to an onerous pass rush and injury-diminished receiving corps.

Garoppolo certainly scintillated in this three plays. He bounced out of the pocket for a 4-yard gain, threw a strike to Aldrick Robinson for 8 yards and then escaped the pocket, moved to his left and found Louis Murphy for a 10-yard scoring pass. But how much stock should Shanahan put into that?

“No, those plays have nothing to do with anything,” Shanahan said. “That’s just running around and (Garoppolo) made a great play, but those (plays) have no bearing on it at all.”

Nevertheless, Garoppolo was sharp for those plays, displaying a quick release and possibly more mobility than Beathard.

But if Garoppolo does play, Shanahan will again be forced to cut back the offense he so dearly wants to expand. If Garoppolo is to have success, it won’t be because he knows Shanahan’s offense, it will be from making “off-schedule” plays like the one in which he found Murphy.

So Shanahan has to decide what’s more important, trying to get all his players to learn his offense, or
find out how much Russell Wilson Garoppolo has in him while the learning of the offense for the rest of the team is paused.

If Beathard is healthy enough to play, he deserves one more start. Then if he scuffles and continues to take hits, Garoppolo should be inserted.

What Shanahan made clear in his interview on Tolbert and Lund last week was that he wants to establish a culture of winning. That’s what he should base his decision on, which quarterback gives him and his players the best chance to win. That’s it.

Shanahan should know by Wednesday which player that is going to be.