SANTA CLARA — After not practicing with the 49ers throughout training camp, Jimmy Garoppolo got back in the saddle and led San Francisco to a 27-7 win over the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday at Levi's Stadium.
Garoppolo stepped in late in the first quarter Trey Lance suffered a season-ending broken ankle. The veteran quarterback finished the game, completing 13 of his 21 attempts for 154 yards. He threw one touchdown pass and ran in for another touchdown.
Coach Kyle Shanahan kept the offensive focus on the run game to reduce the pressure on Garoppolo, calling 45 run plays in the game that accounted for 189 yards and two scores.
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.
“Just like riding a bike,” Garoppolo said after the game. “Felt good to be back out there. Kyle called some plays that I knew, some new ones for me too -- that was fun. It was a good process. I try to prepare this whole time like a starter anyways.”
Garoppolo didn’t miss a beat, quickly throwing a 4-yard completion to Brandon Aiyuk on his first snap of the game, which led to a Robbie Gould field goal.
On the next series, the 49ers took advantage of a defensive pass interference call on Seahawks cornerback Coby Bryant. After a run by Ty Davis-Price for a loss of four yards, Garoppolo threw three straight completions including a 38-yard touchdown pass to tight end Ross Dwelley.
“It was more about getting the shoulder ready,” Garoppolo said. “Once the shoulder was ready, mentally, I knew the scheme, some of the new plays took a little while to learn, things like that. There’s always new wrinkles in the offense. For the most part once my shoulder was good, I was ready to roll. Feels good now.”
San Francisco 49ers
Find the latest San Francisco 49ers news, highlights, analysis and more with NBC Sports Bay Area and California.
RELATED: Grading 49ers' offense, defense in win over Seahawks
Garoppolo has been participating in team sessions of practice on scout team as the backup role requires. By “playing the role” of the opposing quarterback the 49ers will be facing each week, Garoppolo does not get the physical reps that the starting quarterback gets.
Garoppolo explained that only getting mental reps since his return was a challenge but knowing the scheme and the players helped his return go smoothly. Now Garoppolo and the 49ers will have a week to prepare to head to Denver to face the Broncos on Sunday Night Football.