lol
Anyone being critical of Shanahan right now is clueless. Truly.
The season ended in the 4th quarter of week 3. Losing Jimmy G ended the season. At that point, the best thing they could do was lose and get a premiere player at the top of next years draft, preferably a Pass Rusher.
The team has been a M.A.S.H. unit all year.
I hate putting the blame on one guy (Beathard) and that isn't really fair to him because there are deficiencies all over the roster, but there is no question that the number one difference between the end of last year and this year is the QB position.
Specifically, Jimmy had a lightning fast release and is a quick decision maker. Beathard holds the ball and is slow to process. Everything is late.
That simple difference is all the difference in the world...particularly when it comes to turnovers. Beathard is a TOUGH kid, but he is his own worst enemy. He holds it too long and gets sacked. He holds it too long and the receiver is no longer open. He hold it too long and doesn't try to throw it away. Its like early Alex Smith all over again.
Bottom line, HE HOLDS IT TOO LONG and he has no pocket presence.
Now, again, the team has issues all over the place, so its hardly a perfect team and the QB is the only problem. The difference is that Jimmy G was good enough to OVERCOME other deficiencies (like say, pass protection) with that release, decision making, and accuracy. Beathard instead ACCENTUATES those weaknesses and turns the ball over at an insane rate (like 17 times in 9 games).
He's a good kid, he's tough and he plays really hard, but Beathard isn't a guy who is overcoming anything.
Niners need a pass rusher. They need CBs. They need WRs. They need RBs. They need alot of things, but the #1 thing they need is Jimmy Garoppolo back.