49ers' Deebo Samuel is primed for a surge at perfect point in the season after promising return from injury
After missing the San Francisco 49ers' Week 3 defeat to the Los Angeles Rams, some rust on the part of wide receiver Deebo Samuel after making a quicker than anticipated return from a calf injury would have been understandable. As it happened, there were no signs of any rust from Samuel as the Niners coasted […]
After missing the San Francisco 49ers' Week 3 defeat to the Los Angeles Rams, some rust on the part of wide receiver Deebo Samuel after making a quicker than anticipated return from a calf injury would have been understandable.
As it happened, there were no signs of any rust from Samuel as the Niners coasted to a routine bounce-back win over the New England Patriots.
He did not produce the kind of dominant display of which he is capable, but Samuel's performance as the 49ers improved to 2-2 suggested a display in which he takes over a game could be around the corner.
Samuel finished the Patriots game with 58 yards receiving, 53 of which came on a bomb from Brock Purdy in the third quarter, which helped set up a rushing touchdown for Jordan Mason.
That play came in relatively uncomplicated fashion, with Samuel creating separation downfield on a deep post against Cover 3. Samuel was helped by a corner getting caught peeking at the quarterback, but the burst he displayed when breaking to the post was very encouraging for a player returning from a muscle injury.
On top of that, Samuel was involved in the running game early and impressed in that regard, too.
Samuel went for 14 yards on two carries and also had a 15-yard fourth-quarter run wiped out by penalty.
With Jordan Mason producing a third 100-yard effort in four games, Samuel wasn't required to be a substantial part of the ground attack.
Yet with Christian McCaffrey seemingly still some way from returning and the 49ers clearly not quite ready to give rookie Isaac Guerendo a significant portion of the workload, Samuel the rusher may be required more often in the coming weeks.
The 49ers' offense is at its best when it has Samuel available and excelling making plays as a receiver and as a runner out of the backfield. His production against the Patriots may have only come on a handful of plays, but it served as an indication that a surge from the 49ers' most dynamic offensive playmaker in which he produces explosive plays in both areas could well be on the horizon.
If that proves to be the case it would be a perfectly timed surge from Samuel.
The 49ers host the Arizona Cardinals this week in a game in which they are clear favorites. Arizona will not be a pushover for San Francisco, but a defining stretch for the 49ers will come afterward with games against the Seattle Seahawks, Kansas City Chiefs and Dallas Cowboys coming before their Week 9 bye. Two of those contests are in primetime.
Samuel, as he displayed in the 49ers' NFC Championship Game rematch with the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 13 last season, has a habit for delivering in a big way in such high-leverage games.
With the calf injury clearly not having any lingering impact on his physical capabilities against the Patriots, Samuel had the look of a player in peak condition to wreak havoc for opposing defenses, just as he did at Lincoln Financial Field last December.
The games with the Seahawks and the Cowboys will go a long way to determining the 49ers' place in the playoff picture in the NFC, while it would be a tremendous boost to Kyle Shanahan's team if they could prove to themselves they are capable of slaying the dragon and beating the Chiefs.
Part of the reason the 49ers lost to Kansas City in Super Bowl 58 was the manner in which the Chiefs' secondary succeeded in keeping Samuel quiet. With a rematch fast approaching, there are obvious signs Samuel is primed for an explosion that could help ensure the Niners head into the bye with a string of victories that solidify their position as one of the premier contenders to win it all.
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He’s provided them with a constant.
