49ers notebook: Deebo Samuel shines in second straight week
Deebo Samuel isn’t exactly a stellar postgame quote.
But the 49ers don’t need the rookie receiver to be, as long as he’s performing like he has the past two games against NFC West opponents.
Samuel recorded a career-best 134 yards on eight catches Sunday in the 36-26 victory over the Arizona Cardinals. He did it as San Francisco’s receivers came under fire following a slew of drops during the Monday night loss to the Seattle Seahawks, when Samuel had the first 100-yard game of his career.
“I was just following the game plan,” Samuel said. “As a receiver, you are taught to go out there and make plays and that’s what I did.”
Clearly, Samuel let’s his play do the talking. Much more than his rare postgame media scrums.
Specifically, the second-round draft pick’s tenacity, physicality and fearlessness. Those are far more important to San Francisco as it improved its record to an NFC-best 9-1 while Samuel caught two crucial passes on the final go-ahead touchdown drive capped by Jeff Wilson Jr.’s 25-yard score.
Samuel did it as the team was missing its top passing target in tight end George Kittle for the second straight game. And Emmanuel Sanders exited in the fourth quarter because he aggravated the rib injury he sustained against Seattle.
“He’s a dog, man. He’s an absolute dog. And I mean that in the best way possible,” right tackle Mike McGlinchey. “He’s got a heart of a lion and he never, ever quits on it. He was banged up today, fighting through some stuff, and all he did was fight and make play after play for us and move the chains in big, big situations.
“He’s been doing that progressively more all year. You watch the tape, it takes five, six guys at a time to bring him down. He wants to score every time he touches the football. It’s really, really cool to watch.”
Samuel’s best play was an acrobatic, 26-yard grab in the third quarter in which the ball was batted in the air and he was interfered with. It converted a third-and-9 near the 49ers’ sideline, and led to Kendrick Bourne’s 2-yard touchdown that gave San Francisco a 23-19 lead.
“I never lost focus of the ball and went in and made the play,” Samuel said.
The crowd began chanting “Dee-bo! Dee-bo!” after the play while he was writhing in pain because of a shoulder injury. He went to the locker room to get checked up and returned to the fourth quarter.
“He’s one of those guys you love to have in your foxhole,” Jimmy Garoopolo said. “He just gets banged up out there, keeps coming back, doesn’t even question it or anything. He’s a fighter, man. You love having guys like that on your team.”
49ers injury updates
▪ Pass rusher Dee Ford went to the medical tent after getting sack No. 6.5 on the season in the second quarter to get checked for a hamstring injury. He came out to the sideline in the second half in a baseball cap on and didn’t return.
▪ Safety Jimmie Ward momentarily left the game on the first drive. He quickly returned and broke up a third-down pass in the end zone after getting his left ankle taped.
▪ Cornerback Emmanuel Moseley left the game in third quarter with cramps. He walked off the field on his own power. He was replaced by Ahkello Witherspoon, the former starter who got his first action since Week 3 when he sustained a foot injury against the Steelers. The Cardinals tried a pass Witherspoon’s direction on their first third down and it fell incomplete. Moseley returned to the game in fourth quarter.
▪ Slot cornerback K’Waun Williams sustained a stinger to his right shoulder late in the third quarter. He ran off the field and went right to the medical tent. He was replaced by D.J. Reed, but Williams returned the game in the fourth.
▪ The 49ers had six players out with injuries: Kittle (knee, ankle), left tackle Joe Staley (finger), running back Matt Breida (ankle), nose tackle D.J. Jones (groin), linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair (concussion) and kicker Robbie Gould (quadriceps). Third-string quarterback C.J. Beathard was the only healthy scratch among the seven inactives.
