© Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
In a matter of one year, the 49ers have undergone arguably the most drastic transformation in the NFL in just about every way. Prior to the 2017 season, the 49ers were coming off a 2-14 campaign, with a new head coach and general manager, entering their first career seasons in those roles, inheriting a roster in flux. With the 2018 season looming, the 49ers are one of the most highly anticipated teams after finishing last season on a 6-1 run after starting 0-9, the only NFL team to ever do so.
A Vegas sports book gave the 49ers the seventh-best odds to win the Super Bowl. In April, they were awarded a maximum of five prime-time games in the upcoming season. Out of the 10 teams with five such games, they are the only one coming off a losing record.
The yawning expectations don’t seem to be getting to Jimmy Garoppolo, the $137.5 million man largely responsible for that scalding finish to the 2017 season.
“It’s all kind of noise out there,” Garoppolo said Wednesday. “People make predictions all the time, but at the end of the day, it’s what we do on the practice field, in the meeting rooms, and how we go out and perform on Sundays.”
Contrary to last season when Garoppolo had to cram a playbook’s worth of information into one week at a time, he has a full offseason to digest the system. It’s easy to expect Garoppolo and the offense to exceed their 2017 productivity, considering the luxury of time, but let’s not forget how well the 49ers offense performed in those final five games (all of which Garoppolo started).
Their 321.7 yards per game from Weeks 1-12 (21st-best) improved to 410 yards (third-best) from Weeks 13-17. Their 17 points per game (28th-best) improved to 28.8 (fifth-best). Their 221.8 pass yards per game (17th-best) improved to 297 (third-best). And their total quarterback rating improved from 32.4 (28th-best) to 80 (first).
Shanahan is quick to remind everyone just how prolific the offense was during that final stretch.
“‘How are we going to look now that Jimmy has an offseason and knows it?’” Shanahan said Wednesday. “Well, he did look pretty good last year, and he’s going to be much more comfortable in there and know a lot more what he’s doing and guys are going to be able to play together and understand situations better. Does that mean, who was the number one those last five weeks? I don’t know how much of a jump you guys are going to see, but you are better. When you talk about expectations and stuff, I don’t know how you live up to that.”
The core remains, while the 49ers have complemented Garoppolo via free agency and the NFL Draft. The additions of Jerick McKinnon and Dante Pettis have added speed and versatility to the offense. Center Weston Richburg and rookie left tackle Mike McGlinchey add protection to the starting unit.
The offense is better equipped to sustain the production we saw in the final seven-game stretch of the 2017 season. That does not mean there will be a drastic improvement in production from one of the NFL’s best offenses during a 6-1 finish.
“If (Garoppolo) had 400 yards a game, does that mean we have to have 600 for these first five games to improve?” Shanahan said. “I don’t know what the numbers will be. I think we’ll be a better offense. I feel pretty confident in that.”