QB power rankings: 49ers' future castoff Jimmy Garoppolo stays alive among franchise quarterbacks

One of these quarterbacks is not like the others.

There is Patrick Mahomes, Matthew Stafford, Joe Burrow and . . . drum roll please . . . Jimmy Garoppolo.

Three franchise quarterbacks who delivered in spectacular fashion over a spectacular weekend of NFL divisional playoffs and a guy who is awaiting a trade or release to play elsewhere in 2022. Two will be in the Super Bowl on Feb. 13.

Mahomes brought his team back twice in the final 1:02 Sunday night, driving the Kansas City Chiefs to a game-tying field goal despite getting the ball for the last time in regulation with 13 seconds left. And then taking Kansas City the distance in overtime. It was 42-36 over Buffalo, an instant all-time classic, sure to ignite arguments for a change in overtime rules because the Bills' Josh Allen never saw the ball.

Stafford was 28 of 38 for 366 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. He prevented the Rams from a complete collapse with a 44-yard strike to Cooper Kupp with 28 seconds left. It set up a 30-yard Matt Gay field goal at the gun for a 30-27 win and gave the Rams a third shot at the 49ers.

Burrow somehow weathered nine sacks and completed 28 of 37 passes for 348 yards in a 19-16 win over Cincinnati, coolly completing a 19-yard out route to Ja'Marr Chase with 20 seconds left. The Bengals eliminated Tennessee on a 52-yard field goal by Evan McPherson.

Garoppolo was no less dramatic, but as usual, statistically inferior. In frigid conditions, Garoppolo was 11 of 19 for 131 yards and an interception. He had key completions to Deebo Samuel and George Kittle on a game-winning drive that set up Robbie Gould's 45-yard field goal in a 13-10 win over the Green Bay Packers.

But when it got to third-and-7, coach Kyle Shanahan opted to run the ball with Samuel for 9 yards rather than risk having Jimmy G go up top. You think that happens with Mahomes, Burrow or Stafford? They are each the future of their respective franchises and can throw any route at any distance with precision.

Garoppolo struggles on sideline passes and usually has one inexplicable turnover per game. And that was before having torn ligaments in his throwing thumb and a sprained throwing shoulder. Garoppolo led his team to six points in a divisional playoff, but if you polled the players, they wouldn't want anyone else.

Jimmy G wins, and it's really all they care about. They've watched how Garoppolo has handled the arrival of Trey Lance and functioned in Shanahan's system. He delivers when it matters even if it isn't always with the breathtaking pass or broken-field scramble.

Can Garoppolo deliver two more wins and a Super Bowl ring? If so, he'd be the first quarterback to leave his team after a championship since Baltimore's Trent Dilfer won with a defensive juggernaut in 2000 and found himself in Seattle in 2001, with the Ravens opting for Elvis Grbac instead.

This week's rankings with postseason records:

1. Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City (8-2): Mahomes had to get more patient this season because of the way he's defended, had an early run of turnovers, but has the Chiefs in the driver's seat to SoFi Stadium and the Super Bowl. His duel with Allen was a clinic in modern quarterback play.

2. Joe Burrow, Cincinnati (2-0): Burrow never lost his composure despite seeing his offensive line overwhelmed by Tennessee and was unfazed by his lone interception. The Bengals really owe it to themselves this offseason to get Burrow some bodyguards in the draft and free agency and he'll be special for a long time.

3. Matthew Stafford, L.A. Rams (2-3): Stafford was downright bad in the Rams' Week 10 regular-season loss to the 49ers and then faded after a strong start in Week 18. Yes, he lost to Garoppolo twice. And if you lined up 32 NFL talent evaluators and told them they could pick the one they want, they'd all take Stafford.

4. Jimmy Garoppolo, 49ers (4-1): If Garoppolo beats Stafford a third time, it's likely a rematch of Super Bowl LIV against the Chiefs and Mahomes. He'd be forced to relive the missed post to Emmanuel Sanders countless times. If it's Cincinnati, it would be the third time the 49ers faced the Bengals in the Super Bowl. Joe Montana won against Ken Anderson and Boomer Esiason. Hopefully one or the other happens. Great story either way.

Assessing the vanquished

Josh Allen of the Bills never got a shot in overtime in the "sudden death" scenario where the Chiefs scored a touchdown on their first possession. He completed 27 of 37 passes for 329 yards, four touchdowns to Gabriel Davis, had 68 yards rushing and threw eight touchdown passes with no interceptions in two postseason games. The overtime rule is getting skewered, but the biggest problem was a Buffalo defense that let Allen down.

Have a hard time believing Tom Brady is going to hang it up after leading the Bucs from a 27-3 deficit to a 27-27 tie only to see it all vanish on an ill-timed zero blitz by his own defense. The Rams' turnovers helped, but Brady looks like he'll still be a force at age 45 if he wants it.

Aaron Rodgers all but said he's headed out the door in Green Bay, which means either retirement or a new team (Denver?). Unfortunately, his playoff legacy, which is light-years from his regular-season legacy, will go with him. It's heavy baggage after the way he was .

Dak Prescott of Dallas will be answering questions about his ill-fated, time-killing quarterback keeper against the 49ers in the wild card round until such a time he wins a Super Bowl. He also advocated fans throwing debris at officials. Bad look, even with the apology.

The Raiders' Derek Carr threw it short of the goal line on the final play of the season against Cincinnati with the game on the line. Now he awaits a new general manager, will probably have a new coach, and then will find out if he's getting a new start elsewhere. Has polarized the fan base for eight years. A handful of teams would love to have him.

It was an extremely disappointing postseason debut for Arizona's Kyler Murray, whose panic-stricken pick-six against the Rams helped fuel a 34-11 loss in the wild card round.

Tennessee made it to the top seed with mirrors under Mike Vrabel, and also with a quarterback in Ryan Tannehill who threw three interceptions and had a 66.7 passer rating in home loss to the Bengals.

New England rookie Mac Jones was functional and mostly error-free for much of the season. But he was kept under wraps by Bill Belichick and Josh McDaniel and faded when it mattered.

Does Philadelphia have its quarterback of the future in Jalen Hurts? Hurts can move like Mahomes and Allen, but there's no evidence he can throw like them.

Assuming it's over for Ben Roethlisberger of the Steelers, who accomplished more than you would have expected the last couple of years for someone who can no longer throw the ball downfield.

___

(c)2022 the San Jose Mercury News (San Jose, Calif.)

Visit the San Jose Mercury News (San Jose, Calif.) at www.mercurynews.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.