Samuel’s key plays secured road trip sweep for 49ers
The talk has focused on quarterbacks, running backs and other receivers. But Deebo Samuel has been integral in both of the 49ers' wins this year.
PHILADELPHIA — Deebo Samuel walked out of the 49ers’ locker room full of joy. He was smiling, engaging, laughing.
An hour earlier, not so much.
Samuel was on his back on the Lincoln Financial Field grass. A trainer was tending to his legs on the 49ers’ sideline. He looked pained.
This was not a good look for the NFL’s leader in receiving yards (through Sunday’s games).
“I cramped up so bad. They wouldn’t go away,” Samuel said of the pain that seared through his tightened quadriceps.
Meanwhile, Jimmy Garoppolo and the 49ers offense managed to get a first down and killed the final seconds of a 17-11 win over the Eagles.
Samuel played a large, yet somewhat overlooked, role in the 49ers sweeping their opening road trip, which started in Detroit with him totaling 189 yards in a 41-33 win.
Of his nine catches against the Lions, the most memorable was a 79-yard touchdown midway through the third quarter. It came on a harrowing pass by Garoppolo, who was hit hard by a defender, and it gave the 49ers a 28-point lead, which they nearly squandered.
Against the Eagles, Samuel caught 6-of-8 targets for 93 yards. The longest was a 40-yard catch-and-run on a Garoppolo dart, setting up Jauan Jennings’ 11-yard touchdown catch on the next snap to put the 49ers ahead (for good) 7-3 with 12 seconds left before halftime.
So, through two games, Samuel has caught 15 of 20 targets for 282 yards (18.8 yards per catch). He also had two carries for 8 yards against the Eagles.
A few days earlier, at 49ers practices at The Greenbrier Resort in West Virginia, Samuel wasn’t the most discussed wide receiver.
Instead, all the buzz swirled around Brandon Aiyuk’s demotion, or part-time job share with Trent Sherfield, which continued somewhat against the Eagles, though Aiyuk played more offensive snaps (38-24).
Samuel was understandably spent after his 49th snap Sunday (70 percent of the 49ers’ offensive plays).
He certainly isn’t underappreciated by Garoppolo.
“Deebo’s been a dog. He’s been a player for us since he got here as a rookie,” Garoppolo said last week. “And so not too much has changed in that aspect, I would say.
“But off the field and on the field, I guess, his leadership has come a long way. Just the way that he leads that group.”
Indeed, Samuel leads the 49ers through practice warmups, and his physical style is why he is atop the NFL’s receiving yardage scoreboard.
“I give him a lot of credit for (his leadership) because I don’t think that came naturally for him, especially as a rookie, you’re kind of learning as you go,” Garoppolo said. “But he really embraced that role this year. It’s really helped us out.”