49ers notebook: Early signs suggest Nick Mullens starts at quarterback vs. Giants
Coach Kyle Shanahan didn’t announce the 49ers’ starting quarterback for Sunday’s game against the New York Giants, but he did indicate it likely won’t be Jimmy Garoppolo.
Garoppolo, who suffered a right high-ankle sprain Week 2 against the Jets, didn’t practice Wednesday at The Greenbrier resort in West Virginia, where San Francisco is practicing this week to cut down on travel, and the signs point to Nick Mullens taking over under center.
“I’ll be surprised if Jimmy gets back (to practice) later in the week. I know he’s still pulling to do it, but yeah, Nick’s ready to go,” Shanahan said. “Nick’s got a lot of playing time with us in 2018. Prepared him for moments like this. Always does a good job in practice and I’m excited to see him get his opportunity.”
Mullens, of course, impressed the 49ers when he started the final eight games of the regular season in 2018 after Garoppolo sustained a season-ending ACL tear in Week 3.
Mullens’ first start came in a Thursday night game against the Raiders in which he completed 16 of 22 for 262 yards and three touchdown passes. His 151.9 passer rating was the best for a quarterback making his starting debut since the 1970 merger.
San Francisco went 3-5 in Mullens’ starts while he completed 64 percent of his passes, averaged 8.3 yards per attempt (ranking fifth in the NFL), 285 yards per game, and had a 90.8 passer rating (23rd). He threw 13 touchdown passes, 10 interceptions and helped George Kittle set the single-season records for receiving yards by a tight end with 1,377.
Garoppolo returned from the injury last season and started every game, keeping Mullens on the bench for the entire year, save for garbage time in a 51-13 blowout of the Panthers in Week 8. Mullens replaced Garoppolo in the second half of last Sunday’s 31-13 thumping of the Jets, completing 8-of-11 for 71 yards with no touchdowns and an interception.
Having to a start a backup at quarterback is never welcomed news for a team with Super Bowl aspirations. But the good news for Mullens is he’s far more comfortable running Shanahan’s complex offense now that he’s in his fourth season.
“So now I just have higher expectations for myself,” Mullens said after last week’s game. “And I think myself that’s what carries me and pushes me. It’s my fourth year. There’s really no excuses as to why I shouldn’t perform.”
Added left tackle Trent Williams: “Nick, he’s a serious guy. You see him walking around the building and you wouldn’t know if he was the starter or third string because he prepares every week like he’s the starting quarterback. There’s not a lot of joking around. You can tell that he’s serious about his craft. We’re ready to go with him. I think we definitely can win, we will win with him.”
Giants coach Joe Judge says Mullens gets the ball out of his hand quickly and does well with reading defenses and making adjustments before the snap.
“So he’s a guy that kind of turns two as we say. Ball hits his hand, ball’s coming out,” Judge said Wednesday, using a baseball reference. “He’s very good with anticipation. He does a good job pre-snap really reading the defense, knowing where his receivers are going to be. And he’s a tough, gritty dude.”
One of the challenges for the Giants, Judge said, was preparing to play a team that has uncertainty at quarterback. He said the coaching staff is working on separate game plans to use depending on which quarterback plays.
“These are conversations that we’re having with coaches that we’re putting together with the players. And you want to kind of get it to them in basic increments, (so) that you’re not double installing everything at once for the players,” Judge said.
49ers concerned with Ford’s back injury
Defensive end Dee Ford had back surgery in college at Auburn and again with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2017. And because of the nature of back injuries, the 49ers are particularly concerned about Ford’s status. He’s expected to miss his second straight game and not practice this week, Shanahan said.
Shanahan on Wednesday confirmed an NFL Network report indicating Ford could miss multiple games beyond this week after he missed practice last week with neck spasms before further testing revealed a back injury.
“When you’re dealing with a back injury, you really don’t know the timetable,” Shanahan said. “I know he’s gotten some medicine this week that we’re hoping helps, but that’s a wait-and-see approach. So each day you’re looking into him, see how it goes. I’m sure it’s a long shot this week, but there is no timetable on it because you’ve got to see how the medicine reacts and if it helps.”
The timing of Ford’s absence could be especially problematic for San Francisco. The team on Wednesday placed star defensive end Nick Bosa and interior pass rusher Solomon Thomas on season-ending injured reserve after tearing their ACLs against the Jets. Losing Ford for any period significantly impacts San Francisco’s depth on what used to be their best position group.
Ford, a 2018 Pro Bowler with two double-digit sack seasons on his resume, indicated before the season that availability was his top priority after playing just 22 percent of the defensive snaps in 2019. He was expected to help offset the loss of DeForest Buckner in the trade with the Colts. Now, the 49ers’ once-vaunted defensive line looks like it will be without three of their best pass rushers from last season that were instrumental in reaching the Super Bowl.
The team on Wednesday made the signing of veteran free agent Ezekiel Ansah official. Ansah, 31, has 50.5 sacks in 94 career games, though injuries limited him to 6.5 in 18 games the last two seasons with the Lions and Seahawks. Defensive end Dion Jordan was also promoted from the practice squad.
Kittle returns to practice
It’s unclear if Kittle is going to play Sunday against the Giants after spraining his left knee in Week 1, particularly given the 49ers’ complaints about the artificial playing surface at MetLife Stadium, where they play again Sunday, that might have impacted their six players who left the game with significant leg injuries.
“I haven’t seen him at all,” Shanahan said when asked about how Kittle was moving before Wednesday’s practice. “I’ll see him today for the first time. Looking forward to seeing how he moves out there in individual (drills).”
The 49ers often take a conservative approach when it comes to injured players and might be wise to give Kittle another week for his knee to heal before for the team returns home for three straight games on natural grass at Levi’s Stadium. In the meantime, San Francisco seems poised to count on Jordan Reed, who caught a pair of touchdown passes against New York while upping his snaps from 10 in Week 1 to 28.
▪ Shanahan expressed remorse for not wearing his mask during Sunday’s game, leading to a $100,000 fine for himself and a $250,000 fine for the team.
“No one ever wants to have to spend that type of money, but the biggest disappointment was, and I think our organization is taking this stuff very seriously,” Shanahan said. “I think our organization has been unbelievable with the protocols that we’ve done and the ones that have been given to us and what we follow. Obviously, I can do a better job during the game of wearing it and I got the message and I will do a better job.”
▪ Shanahan said he expects backup running back Tevin Coleman to be out four weeks after spraining his knee on Sunday. Coleman’s injury is considered worse than starter Raheem Mostert, who doesn’t appear likely to play Sunday.
Both halfbacks missed practice Wednesday. Jerick McKinnon is likely to start with Jeff Wilson Jr. getting an increased workload. It’s likely that undrafted rookie JaMycal Hasty will get promoted from the practice squad.
▪ Kittle on Wednesday was listed as a limited participant at practice, as was linebacker Dre Greenlaw, who suffered a quadriceps contusion against the Jets.
▪ Cornerback Jason Verrett (hamstring) was listed as a full participant and appears in line to be available Sunday after being inactive the first two games. Verrett suffered the injury late in training camp after splitting time with Emmanuel Moseley and Ahkello Witherspoon in the competition to start opposite Richard Sherman.
▪ Nose tackle D.J. Jones, who had an ankle injury Sunday, was not listed on the injury report.
This story was originally published September 23, 2020 at 12:47 PM.