Someone found a clip of Jimmy Garoppolo unscrewing the cap of a water bottle — with his supposedly injured right thumb — during the most recent postgame news conference. Someone else questioned whether the mysterious thumb sprain is merely a convenient way to insert rookie Trey Lance into the lineup. Others wonder why no one mentioned the thumb issue after the game (which is actually a great question).

Yes, we are now all thumbs, all the time on the 49ers beat. Unless we’re talking about Mitch Wishnowsky’s short kickoffs. Or the team’s issues at cornerback.

All those topics are covered in today’s mailbag. Thanks for your questions, which have been slightly modified for content (usually replacing first names with last names).

Matt, is it fair to consider this season a wasted year if it leads to a wild-card loss at the cost of Trey Lance’s on-field development? — Gary H.

Well, we may find out very quickly how much value there was in him sitting back and running the scout team most of the season (and the 49ers insist it was incredibly valuable). If Lance starts Sunday, his Texans counterpart will be Davis Mills, a rookie (third-round pick) who will be making his 10th start. Has Mills made huge strides by starting? Has Lance been held back by sitting? The teams’ relative strengths will have a large bearing on how the quarterbacks look, of course, but it will be an interesting case study if Lance/Mills comes to pass.

Hmm. Why does that play look so familiar? To answer your question, the game plan must evolve from what it was on Oct. 10. Lance carried the ball 16 times and was hit in the pocket another eight times. He emerged from the game with a knee injury. Unless the 49ers want to go into Week 18 with Nate Sudfeld as their starting quarterback, they need to have a more passer-friendly game plan for Lance.

Assuming that Garoppolo is a no go the next two weeks and Lance gets the starts instead, if he leads the 49ers to victory and a playoff berth, does that accelerate the clock for Jimmy’s exit in the offseason? — William B.

Yes, but the real question — in that scenario — is whether Lance would start the first playoff game.