SANTA CLARA -- Jimmy Garoppolo had just thrown an ill-advised pass into triple coverage.
The pass was intended for Deebo Samuel. But it was broken up and fluttered into the air, and Denver Broncos linebacker Jonas Griffith came up with the interception to extinguish the 49ers’ last, best chance Sunday night.
Garoppolo obviously was frustrated as he returned to the sideline.
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Moments later on the TV broadcast, NBC showed a slow-motion replay of the 49ers quarterback talking to himself.
Among the many interpretations of the replay:
1, Garoppolo was criticizing the design of the play;
San Francisco 49ers
2, He was expressing frustration with his own decision-making, or;
3, Perhaps, he was coming to the realization that the post-game meal would not be as tasty after a loss.
Coach Kyle Shanahan said Thursday that he hadn't seen the clip, nor did he plan to watch. He said he couldn't believe he even was asked about the matter during a press conference.
Shanahan classified any guesses as to what Garoppolo was saying as “a joke.”
Shanahan said he always has honest dialogues with Garoppolo, and this week has been no different.
“[It’s] like it is with one of my friends,” Shanahan said. “Jimmy and I are around each other every single day, so there’s not any awkwardness for us or anything that’s kept from each other.”
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There clearly were reasons for everyone on the 49ers’ sideline to feel frustration during the course of the team’s 11-10 loss to the Denver Broncos on Sunday night.
“Any time we are doing well in the first half moving the ball, and you get into the second half and you have three turnovers and you have a safety on one and you don’t convert a third down, it’s real frustrating,” Shanahan said.