2 min read • January 29, 2022
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Of all the matchups we will see in the NFC Championship Game this weekend – Kyle Shanahan vs Sean McVay, Trent Williams vs Aaron Donald and Von Miller, Matt Stafford taking on the 49ers' imposing front 7, Deebo Samuel vs ... everybody? – Jimmy Garoppolo is probably at the bottom of the list.
San Francisco has made its living in the Shanahan playoff runs on the ground, and he has unlocked 2 new devastating creases in Samuel and Williams to punish defenses.
But you can only ignore a pretty face for so long, and Garoppolo has the best advantage he will all postseason to expose mismatches, make winning throws, and hit the over of 1.5 touchdowns.
First, his shoulder and thumb are another week removed from their respective injuries, and thus another week closer to being fully healed.
Trent Williams is fighting through a high ankle sprain he suffered in last week's win, holding him out of practice all week. While we expect him to play, the league's best run-blocker will be limited in his movement, which will likely impact Shanahan's gameplan.
On the other side, injuries have affected both Los Angeles safety slots in recent weeks.
Free safety Jordan Fuller is out for the season, forcing the Rams to bring in 37-year-old Eric Weddle, who hadn't played in almost 2 years.
Strong safety Taylor Rapp has missed the last 2 games with a concussion, and may miss his third. He has yet to clear concussion protocols as of Saturday.
This isn't a bet on volume, it's a bet on aggressive throws against holes in the secondary leading to big plays, which the 49ers have had in bunches this season with Samuel, George Kittle, Brandon Aiyuk, and even Jauan Jennings.
Bet: Jimmy Garoppolo over 1.5 TD passes
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