What impressed Ryan was Garoppolo’s “pinpoint accuracy” to shorter receivers like rookie Trent Taylor and speedster Marquise Goodwin. On the day, Garoppolo completed all 14 of his passes to those diminutive players, which kept drives alive and helped the 49ers to convert 10 third-down opportunities.
Ryan said with smaller receivers, a quarterback has to be a “human juggs machine.”
“You have to unload the ball quicker and precise and on the money because of their (smaller) catch radius,” Ryan said. “You have to hit them on the run with pinpoint ball placement.”
Catch radius is how far a receiver can reach with his arms away from his body in order to catch a football. With the 5-foot, 6-inch Taylor and the 5-foot, 9-inch Goodwin, the radius isn’t expansive. However, smaller, quicker receivers have a tendency to beat man coverage quickly, particularly from the slot.
Tom Brady’s frightful accuracy to smaller receivers in New England on quick passes is nearly unstoppable. It’s an element of the passing game coach Kyle Shanahan is likely to build upon with Garoppolo.
However, that passing game also requires toughness from slot receivers. They need to be fearless venturing over the middle where linebackers lurk.
Ryan was particularly impressed with Goodwin, who’s known as a down field threat, to challenge the middle.
“I give him so much credit for those crossers into coverage,” Ryan said.