The 49ers deployed their offensive weaponry in a big way Sunday in a no-doubt 42-19 win over the Philadelphia Eagles, punking the defending NFC champions in their own yard.
Yet none in the cavalcade of stars — Brock Purdy, Christian McCaffrey, George Kittle, Brandon Aiyuk — shone as brightly as Deebo Samuel.
The same Samuel who unabashedly told the world after Philly’s 31-7 win in last year’s title game that the 49ers lost because they played with 10 men after Purdy departed in the first quarter with a torn UCL in his throwing elbow. The guy who called Eagles cornerback James Bradberry ‘trash’ during Super Bowl week.
Samuel didn’t do much trash-talking this week other than to unflinchingly say he regretted nothing. He was apparently saving his energy to make a point not only to the Eagles but to everyone else he is still one of the NFL’s most unique and explosive weapons.
“I ain’t going to lie, I was in that zone all week as far as, they beat us in the NFC Championship, talking trash, I mean, it’s part of the game,” Samuel said. “Hopefully nobody took it to heart because it’s all fun and games.”
In laying waste to the Eagles, Samuel scored touchdowns on a 15-yard lateral and pass receptions of 48 and 46 yards from Purdy. He finished with four receptions for 116 yards and three rushes for 22 yards. It was his first career game with three touchdowns.
It was like watching the 2021 Samuel all over again, when he was the dominant offensive player as a receiver and runner as schemed by coach Kyle Shanahan in a march to the NFC title game. It was the year that earned Samuel a three-year, $73.5 million contract extension that until Sunday must have had the 49ers wondering if they’d done the right thing.
Samuel had the seminal play for the 49ers with 3:54 to go in the third quarter after Dre Greenlaw had been ejected for a late hit penalty and a sideline spat with out-of-line Eagles director of security Dom DiSandro, who was also tossed.
The Eagles went on to score on a 1-yard run by Jalen Hurts, trailed only 21-13, and the Philadelphia home fans had come alive.
Then Samuel put the game irreversibly into the 49ers’ favor by taking a short pass in the middle of the field and turning it into a 48-yard touchdown. Samuel caught the ball at the 42-yard line, broke the tackle attempt by Nick Morrow, and then set sail toward the goal line through the heart of the Eagles’ defense.
“Getting in space and breaking tackles is what I’m really good at, and Kyle put me in really good positions to make that happen and I did a good job at it today,” Samuel said.”
The play restored order in a blowout win that keeps the 49ers (9-3) in contention for the top seed in the NFC.
Smell ya later! @19problemz#SFvsPHI on FOX#ProBowlVote 🗳 https://t.co/bosbZYCB7K pic.twitter.com/3gaBIobzUB
— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) December 3, 2023
Samuel wasn’t done, catching a screen pass and racing 46 yards for a score on a play where it didn’t appear anyone on the Eagles was too keen on getting in the way of a 6-foot, 215-pound bowling ball.
“When he gets that full head of steam, he don’t bring a lot of finesse to the party,” 49ers left tackle Trent Williams said. “Guys are going to sit back in the chair and wait on him. They know it’s going to be a collision, he knows it’s going to be a collision. He’s a special player and I think his performance today shows that he’s a special player.”
Shanahan, who has always been one of Samuel’s biggest supporters, said he felt a game like this was coming after missing two games with a hairline fracture in his shoulder.
“He’s as good as there is with the ball in his hands and people don’t like to tackle him,” Shanahan said.
Samuel exploded on the scene in 2021 with 77 receptions for 1,405 yards and six touchdowns, plus 365 yards rushing on 59 carries for eight more scores, getting his extension before the 2022 season. But we’ve only seen glimpses of the 2021 Samuel in part because of injuries, in part because he conceded he came into last season out of shape and in part to more playmakers at Shanahan’s disposal.
Samuel came into the game with 34 catches for 474 yards and a touchdown receiving this season, plus 26 rushes for 138 yards and four touchdowns.
McCaffrey, who also has rushing-receiving skills, became the primary focus as he has been spectacular. You could make the argument that at times this season, Samuel was no better than sixth among the 49ers’ most productive offensive players behind Purdy, McCaffrey, Williams, Kittle and Aiyuk.
McCaffrey had 17 rushes for 93 yards against the Eagles, caught three passes for 40 more and scored his 17th touchdown. Purdy was 19 of 27 for 314 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions, Aiyuk caught five passes for 46 yards and scored the first touchdown, and Kittle had four catches for 68 yards.
Samuel contributed to Aiyuk ‘s score as Purdy faked a sweep right to Samuel, only to roll to his left and find Aiyuk for the score. He has been a hell of a decoy, but the 49ers didn’t pay all that money for a decoy.
The way Samuel has handled the situation has impressed edge rusher Nick Bosa.
“I think he’s the epitome of unselfishness,” Bosa said. “He got paid and obviously that comes with a lot of pressure to be the guy. And when you have so many dudes, you’re not going to get those (opportunities) very often. I just love the fact that he can talk and set the stage and talk into a hostile environment and just thrive. That’s what greatness is made of.”
Purdy said it was evident during the week that Samuel “had a little something to him” with the Eagles up next.
“He had a little history with the way things went in the playoff game and he looked forward to coming back to this place,” Purdy said. “All I had to do was get him the ball in space and he made the rest happen.”
If Samuel can produce similarly going forward, it lessens the load on McCaffrey and makes the 49ers more explosive as opposed to being an offense that succeeds solely through long drives and dominating time of possession.
Whatever is standing in the 49ers’ way in the last five games and the postseason, Samuel had the look Sunday of a player who will be delighted to knock it over.
Source: www.mercurynews.com