The San Francisco 49ers missed Deebo Samuel’s presence in the divisional round. They still got the win over the Green Bay Packers. Without Samuel, the offense struggled to find it’s rhythm. The NFL world took notice of this and many are speculating that the outcome of the NFC Championship game between the San Francisco 49ers and Detroit Lions could come down to Deebo Samuel’s availability. Head coach, Kyle Shanahan, said Samuel “feels better,” when it came to his shoulder injury. However, his status for the NFC title game is still up in the air which could stress quarterback, Brock Purdy, and the offense against a hungry Detroit Lions squad.
San Francisco 49ers Wide Receiver, Deebo Samuel, Still Uncertain About Status for NFC Championship Game
Deebo Samuel’s Impact
It is easy to see why Deebo Samuel is so important when one looks at his numbers. This season alone, the wide receiver logged numbers of 60 catches for 892 yards in 15 games played. On top of this, he also recorded 14.9 receiving yards per reception, a catch percentage of 67.4 percent, and was also utilized in the run game. Samuel rushed for 225 yards, averaged 6.1 rushing yards per attempt, and five touchdowns. While playmakers like Brandon Aiyuk, George Kittle, and Christian McCaffrey certainly have their importance to San Francisco’s offense, one could make the argument that Deebo Samuel is the glue that holds their offensive unit together.
One could see this in the game against Green Bay as certain plays were clearly designed for a player with Samuel’s speed and quickness. As alluded to already, he is effective in both the passing and rushing game. One thing is for certain, the Detroit Lions’ suspect secondary would be catching a major break if the one-time Pro Bowler is unable to suit up on Sunday.
Potential Wide Receivers Who Could Step Up in his Possible Absence
The 49ers do have solid depth on their roster. As a result, some of San Francisco’s auxiliary players have an opportunity to step up and make an impact. This is the most important game of the year so far. The San Francisco 49ers could look to get players such as Jauan Jennings, Ray-Ray McCloud III, and Chris Conley involved early. On top of this, they will certainly look to utilize their MVP candidate, Christian McCaffrey, in multiple ways. Kyle Shanahan is a mastermind. If there is anyone that can take some pressure off of Brock Purdy without one of his favorite targets, it is him.
Not to mention, the 49ers also possess one of the best defensive units in the league. They can lean on them to hopefully force Lions quarterback, Jared Goff, into some tough decisions. The 49ers are currently favored as seven-point favorites over the Lions. With home-field advantage and a clear advantage in the passing game, it makes sense why they are the favorites even without Deebo Samuel. However, the Detroit Lions are riding a ton of momentum right now. As a result, this game could be much closer than some peers are predicted.
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