49ers deal with the playoff highs and lows of Garoppolo

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Jimmy Garoppolo's playoff performance is all anyone would need to understand the decisions the San Francisco 49ers made last offseason at quarterback.

The lack of downfield throws and handful of bone-headed plays explain why the Niners felt the need to trade three first-round picks to draft Garoppolo's eventual replacement in Trey Lance third overall.

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The big passes under pressure, leadership and respect from his teammates are reasons why San Francisco kept Garoppolo and his hefty contract on board out of hopes he could help the 49ers contend for a Super Bowl.

That's why Garoppolo, with all his strengths and flaws, will be under center on Sunday when the 49ers (12-7) visit the Rams (14-5) in the NFC championship game.

"We’re able to maintain trust in him because we keep winning," linebacker Fred Warner said Wednesday. "Jimmy is playing great football. It’s a team game. It’s not just all heavily dependent upon if Jimmy does well we’re going to win. He does exactly what we need him to and he comes into work every single day and is the exact same person."

Judging Garoppolo can be confounding at times as few quarterbacks have won at a better rate than he has since joining the 49ers in 2017, but scores of QBs have been more prolific, raising the question if the Niners are winning because of or in spite of Garoppolo.

Coach Kyle Shanahan's offense is efficient under Garoppolo, leading the NFL in yards per play in the regular season and ranking second in yards per attempt.

But then there are the ill-timed mistakes such as the interception that helped fuel a fourth-quarter comeback by Dallas in the