Late in the third quarter of Sunday's loss to the Seattle Seahawks, the 49ers faced a fourth down from their own 39-yard line. With only a yard to gain, the 49ers decided to dial up a surprise zone-read featuring Jimmy Garoppolo at quarterback.
Before a play that looked to be a disaster from the start got going, center Alex Mack was whistled for an illegal snap and the play was stopped. Garoppolo was asked about the interesting play-call following the 30-23 defeat at Lumen Field, and gave a pretty straightforward answer.
"It was supposed to be a zone read, some s--t happened," Garoppolo told reporters.
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The 49ers were moved back five yards by the penalty on Mack, and Mitch Wishnowsky punted on the ensuing play.
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Given that rookie quarterback Trey Lance has gotten the call on plays like that in the past, many were surprised with the decision to use Garoppolo in a zone-read concept. Lance even was trending on Twitter after the loss, as Garoppolo finished with a 66.6 completion percentage but tossed two interceptions as the 49ers took a step down in the playoff hunt.
Ultimately one play never defines a game, and with Seattle's propensity for kicking themselves in the foot on offense Sunday, the 49ers had every opportunity to win that game.
San Francisco 49ers
It was an odd play call to say the least, but won't be among those that were most detrimental to the 49ers' chances of victory in Week 13.