49ers' Sherman: Blame defense instead of Garoppolo for SB loss
San Francisco 49ers cornerback Richard Sherman dismissed criticisms of quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo's Super Bowl performance Wednesday, saying the team's defense deserves to shoulder the majority of the blame for the loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.
"It's just barbershop talk. It's just something to have a topic. I think it's foolish," Sherman said on KNBR radio Wednesday. He added: "When you hear them blaming Jimmy - you know, Jimmy doesn't play defense. We had a 10-point lead. We get the guy a stop, we win the game."
Patrick Mahomes and Co. scored 21 points in the fourth quarter to erase the 49ers' lead and capture a 31-20 victory for Kansas City.
While the Chiefs' offense exploded late in the game, the 49ers' scoring unit ground to a halt. Garoppolo finished 20-for-31 passing with 219 yards and one touchdown against two interceptions, but he struggled mightily in the fourth quarter, completing just three passes for 36 yards and a pick.
Sherman, who won a Super Bowl with the Seattle Seahawks, took the blame for allowing Sammy Watkins to make a 38-yard catch with 3:44 left in the fourth quarter and San Francisco up 20-17. Three plays later, Kansas City took a lead it wouldn't relinquish
"Jimmy played fine," Sherman said. "He did what he was supposed to do. We got to finish that game out. I got to finish that game out. I got to do what I'm supposed to do. I'm an All-Pro player, I got to play All-Pro down the stretch."
In his first full season as a starter, Garoppolo threw for 3,978 yards (12th most in the league) and 27 touchdowns (sixth) against 13 interceptions (eighth). He also completed 69.1% of his passes, the NFL's fourth-best mark.
Despite the strong regular season, much of the discussion after San Francisco's Super Bowl defeat centered around whether Garoppolo can be enough of a difference-maker under center.
General manager John Lynch even admitted in March that the 49ers talked about pursuing Tom Brady in free agency before quickly deciding Garoppolo was their guy.
"Within a day or two, (head coach) Kyle Shanahan and I looked at each other and said, 'You know what, we really like what we have in Jimmy,'" Lynch said. "We love everything that he brings and we really believe it's a long-term answer"
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