Nick Mullens passed his first test of the season with flying colors Sunday, stepping in for the injured Jimmy Garoppolo and leading the 49ers to a dominant 36-9 road win over the New York Giants.
Mullens completed 25 of his 36 passes for 343 yards, one touchdown and a 108.9 QB rating. It was the third 300-yard passing game of his career, and first since he threw for 332 yards in a 20-14 win over the Denver Broncos on Dec. 9, 2018.
He didn’t quite put the team on his back, but Mullens’ performance was both steady and promising. It also tied a franchise record held by none other than Joe Montana.
Including Sunday’s win, Mullens now has thrown for at least 220 yards in each of his nine career starts. That equals the longest such streak in 49ers franchise history, set by Montana from Dec. 9, 1985 through Dec. 7, 1986.
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Garoppolo remains the unquestioned starter whenever he returns from injury, but given how Mullens played against the Giants, there’s no need to rush Jimmy G back. And assuming Mullens starts San Francisco’s Week 4 game at Levi’s Stadium against the Philadelphia Eagles (0-2-1), he should have a good chance at claiming the franchise record as his and his alone.
Regardless of whether or not Mullens surpasses Montana, though, one would imagine coach Kyle Shanahan is feeling pretty good about his quarterback situation.
