27. San Francisco 49ers
For the first time as a starter in the NFL, Jimmy Garoppolo lost a game after the San Francisco 49ers dropped to the Minnesota Vikings in their opener on the road after the quarterback finished with three interceptions. Even if the argument can be made that Garoppolo knew he would be in for a rough outing against a top defense in the NFL with the Vikings, these are the games the Niners expect him to be competitive in when looking at that hefty contract he received in the offseason.
San Francisco knew they were taking a gamble paying Garoppolo all of that money after only five starts, and while it may seem unfair to judge him after just one performance, this would have been the perfect statement game. When looking at the high expectations surrounding the Vikings being a top Super Bowl contender, a win on the road by the 49ers would have put them in better position to be part of that same conversation.
Sooner or later, San Francisco knew they were going to deal with Garoppolo’s first loss since that streak obviously wasn’t going to last forever, but also he still could have played better. With a week to prepare for the Detroit Lions, here’s to hoping Garoppolo’s Week 2 play is a lot better than Sunday.