NFC Notes: 49ers, Cardinals, Rams, Seahawks

49ers

The 49ers got their first victory of the season on Sunday against the Seahawks, but it was dimmed by the loss of QB Trey Lance for the season due to a fractured ankle. San Francisco HC Kyle Shanahan was gutted for Lance but took some comfort in the presence of veteran QB Jimmy Garoppolo, who the team ended up needing after all. Once again, it’s Garoppolo’s team. 

“We’ll be somber Monday morning, but this league doesn’t wait for anybody,” Shanahan said via NBC Sports’ Peter King. “It’s unbelievable, really, what’s happened here. We’ve only played two years without a major quarterback injury. But really, this is the first time we’ve had a really good Plan B. It’s a long time since this franchise had a quarterback situation like this one, with two guys we know can win — probably back to Joe Montana and Steve Young. I’m not comparing these guys to Joe and Steve, but I’m talking about going into games now knowing we’ve still got a great chance.”

Garoppolo felt good in San Francisco’s win despite feeling bad for Lance.

“Just like riding a bike,” Garoppolo said, via 49ersWebzone.com. “It felt good to be back out there. I feel terrible for Trey. I’ve been on that side of it. This league is tough. Everyone has their share of injuries but that sucks for him. I feel bad for him but he’s our brother and we’ll pick him up. . . . I’m comfortable here. The players, the scheme, all that stuff, the locker room, I’m comfortable. I’m familiar with it. I’m not saying I knew this was going to happen but I was ready for this in case it did happen and just want to take advantage of the opportunity.”

• NFL Media’s Tom Pelissero reports Lance is undergoing surgery for his fractured and dislocated ankle, which is a season-ending injury despite not being a compound fracture.
• Per PFF’s Doug Kyed, the reaction around the league is that this doesn’t hurt the 49ers that much this season, as Garoppolo is quite accomplished even if his limitations prompted San Francisco’s acquisition of Lance. While he might not have Lance’s potential, he’s a steadier player at this point in their respective careers. 
• An NFC analytics exec pointed out to Kyed that the real blow is to Lance’s development, as he has made just five starts in the past three years: “I think losing Lance for the season is tough from a long-term standpoint because he needs those reps to develop, and they clearly see him as their future. It’s hard to evaluate him when he’s not playing.”
• Kyed writes the 49ers will have to acquire a viable quarterback alternative for 2023 because they just haven’t seen Lance play enough. 

Cardinals

Cardinals QB Kyler Murray certainly looked incredible for the Cardinals at the end of regulation and felt he needed to take over in order to force overtime. The Cards later won the game with a defensive touchdown, with DL J.J. Watt and HC Kliff Kingsbury commenting on the win.

“I had to take over,” Murray said, via AZCardinals.com. “That was my mindset.”

“We started playing a lot better. That’s what changed,” Watt said. “A game like this tells you a lot about yourself. It tells you a lot about the guys in the room.”

“The numbers might not be great,” Kingsbury added. “But we don’t care about numbers.”

• NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport reports RB James Conner‘s ankle injury that kept him out against the Raiders is not considered long-term or serious.

Rams

Rams QB Matthew Stafford said he thinks WR Allen Robinson’s role in Los Angeles’ offense will continue to grow after his performance in Week 2.

“I thought A-Rob did a great job,” Stafford said, via TheRams.com. “He’s going to continue to grow into his role in this offense. We’re going to continue to learn about each other. ‘Hey, what does he do great? What does he really like to do? What do I like? How do we see him fitting into this offense?’ All that kind of stuff. But I thought he played great today, both in the pass game and what he had to do in the run game as well.”

• Rams OLB Justin Hollins was fined $5,361 for a horse collar tackle in the Week 1 loss to the Bills. (Tom Pelissero)

Seahawks

• The Score’s Jordan Schultz reports Seahawks DL Shelby Harris underwent an MRI which revealed he sustained a rotator hip strain during Week 2’s loss to the 49ers.
• Seahawks S Jamal Adams was fined $10,609 for unsportsmanlike conduct in the win against the Broncos, although no flag was thrown. (Tom Pelissero)