Photo courtesy of the San Francisco 49ers
Deebo Samuel is dealing with a hamstring strain, and the San Francisco 49ers will be without the second-year wide receiver in the coming weeks. His absence will be felt, but it also means opportunities for others.
While the 49ers have had players step up in recent weeks to fill in for others who are sidelined, there is no doubt that Samuel's versatility will be greatly missed. Tight end
George Kittle spoke with reporters on Thursday and explained why he has a lot of confidence in the coaching staff's ability to compensate for losses — like that of Samuel.
Kittle shared that Samuel's style of physical play has inspired teammates. The receiver can do it all, it seems. That could mean hauling in a
Jimmy Garoppolo-thrown pass deep downfield or taking a handoff and eluding defenders on his way to a significant gain.
"That's all we're trying to do, is play as physical as we possibly can, and Deebo embodies all of that," Kittle shared. "Whether he's lined up in the backfield, it's a jet sweep, or he's running a route, he's always going 100 miles per hour, which is really fun to see. You can just watch him, the way he runs, and how he sets up blocks; he's so good at that.
"Having him is incredible, and definitely not having him, it's a challenge. But we've been down a lot of guys all year, and we always have someone step up."
Kyle Shanahan has shown to be flexible in his game planning. What works one week against one opponent might not be what is needed against the next. New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick noted that as something that makes defending a Shanahan offense so challenging. It became evident when the 49ers ran over the Patriots to the tune of 33-6 on Sunday.
"I know we don't have another Deebo on the roster, but I'm fully confident in our coaches being able to account (for the loss) and give other guys opportunities," Kittle continued. "It might not be
Trent Taylor on a jet sweep, but it's going to be Trent Taylor getting the ball in space, or anyone, really; other wide receivers.
"Whether it's our fullback, whether it's (Ross) Dwelley, whether it's me, our coaches always account for guys, and it's really fun to see that."
Thank you, Deebo Samuel. As the circus that is the 2020 49ers season continues on, Deebo Samuel ensured that it remained relevant for at least one more week.
On Sunday, the 49ers upset their rival LA Rams for the 2nd time this season, completing the season sweep of the Rams and bringing their record to 5-6. It was a messy affair that consisted of 7 turnovers between the two teams and a few dramatic lead changes down the stretch. In the end, the 49ers came out on top.
The 49ers can thank WR Deebo Samuel for this one. He is a legitimate superstar. Scoff all you'd like; while his 2020 stat line may not impress (5 games, 27 receptions, 318 yards and 1 TD), Samuel transforms the 49ers offense in a major way. In the 5 games that Samuel appeared in, the 49ers are 3-2.
The San Francisco 49ers placed running back JaMycal Hasty (broken collarbone) and safety Johnathan Cyprien (hamstring) on injured reserve today. The team also placed safety Jared Mayden on the practice squad injured reserve list due to a quad strain.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan spoke with reporters via Zoom this afternoon and provided several additional injury updates on players who did not play on Sunday against the New Orleans Saints.
The 49ers hope to get the following players back in time for the team's Week 12 matchup against the Los Angeles Rams, giving San Francisco a boost down the stretch:
RB Tevin Coleman (knee)
LB
San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel appears to be eyeing a Week 12 return. We know head coach Kyle Shanahan is optimistic that several injured players will be making their returns this week. That includes Samuel, along with cornerback Richard Sherman and running backs Raheem Mostert and Tevin Coleman.
Samuel shared a video via Instagram with the caption, "Finally back to work."
[email protected] says via IG that he's "finally back to work" — a good indicator that he hopes to return this week.
