San Francisco 49ers rookie wide receiver Deebo Samuel was in on 60 of the offense's 68 snaps on Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. That's a significant number for a player who didn't learn until that morning that he would be starting.
"You've just got to go out there and take advantage of every opportunity you get," Samuel told reporters in Youngstown, Ohio on Wednesday.
That's where the 49ers are practicing this week as they prepare for their Week 2 matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals.
So how was Samuel's debut? It had its ups and downs. He finished the game with three catches for 17 yards but also lost a fumble and had a false start. The rookie was hard on himself about the costly mistakes because the entire receiver group takes pride in playing disciplined football.
"Honestly, inside our group, we have a great group of guys, and we're going to push each other to be the best that we can," Samuel said. "I don't feel any pressure, but I feel like we know what we're capable of, and we need to hold ourselves to a higher standard."
Head coach Kyle Shanahan admits that maybe his rookie wideout was on the field too much during his first regular-season action as a pro. It was, however, a good learning experience for Samuel.
"I think he learned what the NFL's like," Shanahan said. "I think that was our fault for playing him too much [...] We should have had Dante (Pettis) in for more and taken those reps down a little bit, but that's the standard in this league, and how hard you have to go, and every play matters. I think he learned that.
"There's some good learning examples in that game. He did some good things for us, but he also played like a rookie at times, too. To be able to do that and still get away with a win, where you can be hard on him for certain things, I think it was a good learning moment for him."
Added Shanahan: "The false start was huge because it was going to him, and had a very good chance of being an explosive play just like the one we just missed to (Kendrick) Bourne in the series before that. Then the fumble cost us three points."
Samuel welcomes any criticism his coaches may have. There is always more to learn in the NFL, especially for a rookie. Shanahan loves that Samuel takes accountability for his mistakes, even when the coaching staff is hard on the receiver and calls him out in front of the team.
"As far as how hard they get on you, they just want you to become a better player, and I take coaching very well," Samuel said.
Jimmy Garoppolo is learning to trust Samuel, who the quarterback feels can be a potent weapon on offense. The rookie isn't afraid to make the contested catches and fight for the football.
"Deebo, he's still got a long way to go and everything, but he has natural talent, he's powerful, he can run through defenders, as you saw on Sunday," Garoppolo told reporters. "I mean, it's nice having a guy like that and just, when he's in tight spots, he makes the tough catches."
The 49ers kick off against the Bengals from Paul Brown Stadium on Sunday at 1:00 p.m. ET (10:00 a.m. PT).
