SANTA CLARA -- Jimmy Garoppolo believes the measure of his job performance is simple.
In his job title as 49ers quarterback, Garoppolo knows at the end of each week’s game whether he was success or not. If the 49ers won, he accomplished his goal.
The 49ers’ rank 22nd in the NFL at 227.2 passing yards per game. There is no arguing with the results, however, as the 49ers and New England Patriots are the only two unbeaten teams remaining in the NFL.
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Bay Area and California sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
“I want to win. At the end of the day, that’s what it comes down to. Just whatever it takes,” Garoppolo said earlier this week at the team's training facility.
“There are different ways to win in this league. Every game’s going to be different depending on what the defense does, what their offense does even and how it affects us. At the end of the day, it’s did you win or did you lose? That’s all I care about.”
Since he took over as the 49ers’ starting quarterback with five games remaining in the 2017 season, the club is 10-2 in games Garoppolo has started. He threw for 290 yards or more in four of his first five victories with the 49ers.
This season, two of the 49ers’ wins have come with Garoppolo passing for fewer than 200 yards.
San Francisco 49ers
In the 49ers’ 31-3 victory over the Cleveland Browns on last Monday, running backs Matt Breida and Tevin Coleman combined for 211 rushing yards and two touchdowns. The 49ers rushed for 275 yards, including the minus-3 yards for Garoppolo’s kneeldowns at the end.
Did someone say ... game manager?
“You don’t really go into the game thinking that way, but as the game develops, you kind of get a feel for it as it’s going,” Garoppolo said.
On Monday, the first indication the 49ers might be able to win with their defense and running game came in the opening minutes after the defense forced a punt and Breida ripped off an 83-yard touchdown run.
“That was kind of a tone-setter for the rest of the game,” Garoppolo said. “I think up front we just dominated them and the backs took care of the rest.”
The 49ers head into a key NFC West matchup on Sunday against the two-time defending division champion Los Angeles Rams. The club must make some adjustments on offense as versatile fullback Kyle Juszczyk is expected to miss four to six weeks with a knee sprain.
[RELATED: Will Kittle play vs. Rams?]
The 49ers could put more on the plate of Garoppolo with the obvious loss to a key member of the team’s offense.
“Juice does so much for this offense,” Garoppolo said. “He does things that most fullbacks can’t do. He’s catching passes out of the backfield, diving for catches while also cutting a D-end on the backside. It’s little things like that. It’ll be important for us to get that with other people.”