Myth Busters: 49ers 2022 Postseason Edition

The 2021 season was a rollercoaster ride for the 49ers. It is time to break down some myths around the team.

"Two QB system will work"

The 49ers went to extra lengths to ensure that Jimmy Garoppolo still was the priority after the blockbuster trade for Trey Lance. Kyle Shanahan insisted that the development of Lance would be faster with a two-quarterback system. The fans were ecstatic with the idea and vouched that there was no way it would not work.

Shanahan toyed with opposing defenses during the preseason and early weeks of the regular season. Eventually, Shanahan dropped the idea altogether, proving it was just a trap to keep other teams guessing.

Garoppolo gives the 49ers the best chance to win.

The 49ers renewed their vows with Garoppolo during the regular season, but that did not stop Shanahan from drafting Lance and and going on Peter Schrager's podcast to tell the world how much he wanted to trade for Mathew Stafford.

Garoppolo barely escaped the threshold by making it to the playoffs, largely thanks to the defense and Deebo Samuel. He was carried by the rest of the team more often than not but always received praise for work to which he had limited contribution.

Garoppolo was nowhere to be seen when the team needed him most during the playoffs, which was capped off by trademark interception.

Garoppolo had 20 touchdown passes with 12 interceptions to finish the season.

Kyle Shanahan is an offensive genius.

The entire world is fascinated with Shanahan as an offensive mind, but there is limited evidence to prove he's a genius. The 49ers scored 24.0 points per game, ranking them 15th out of 32 teams in the league. The defense held  opponents to 20.6 points per game -- 5th best. The defense was the sole reason that the 49ers stayed close and ended up with crucial victories.

The dagger was put right through Shanahan's offensive genius avatar when the Rams erased a 10 point lead in the 4th quarter in the championship game.

Until Shanahan backs his reputation with numbers, the 49ers' success will depend on the defense's performance.

The team is unlucky with injuries.

The "Revenge Tour 2020" edition was an epic failure, with injuries derailing the season altogether. The team got off into a similar scare early when Raheem Mostert and Jason Verett picked up season-ending injuries during Week 1. The news got worse when Javon Kinlaw was placed on Injured Reserve a few weeks later.

The common factor behind all these players is that they're injury-prone. Dee Ford was unable to last long after he was miraculously deemed fit to go at the start of the season. The front office's plans backfired as they tried to defy the odds. The injury bug has more to do with mismanagement and decision-making than pure misfortune.

The 49ers are a run-first team by choice.

The common belief is that the 49ers should stomp the opposition with the run game to win. The reality is that the 49ers did not start a quarterback who could maximize the passing game when Shanahan schemed up open players. Garoppolo kept missing wide-open receivers all over the field throughout the season.

As a result, the 49ers were forced to run the ball at every given opportunity and use Deebo Samuel as a running back. Whenever the opposing team stacked the whole defense within ten yards of the line of scrimmage, the run game disappeared.

The 49ers should not be branded as a run-first team to hide that Garoppolo is limited. The true identity of the 49ers offense is yet to be unleashed if Lance can meet expectations.