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."
San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch joined KNBR this morning, as he does every other week, and provided several updates to the team's receivers group. The 49ers were undermanned last week against the Green Bay Packers, which contributed to the 34-17 defeat.
Quick summary:
Deebo Samuel will try to practice on Friday. His status remains uncertain.
Kendrick Bourne will travel with the 49ers this weekend.
Trent Taylor and River Cracraft are on track to play.
Lynch started with Samuel, who remains a long shot to play this weekend against the New Orleans Saints.
"I think the final challenge or opportunity for Deebo to show that he can go is out here on Friday," Lynch said on the Murph & Mac
Reporters did not see San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel during today's practice, which is the last of this week before the team boards a plane bound for New Orleans. That means the second-year wideout did not practice at all this week, making his availability for Sunday's game against the Saints very unlikely.
Samuel is attempting to return from a hamstring injury suffered during the 49ers' Week 7 win over the New England Patriots.
General manager John Lynch had hoped Samuel might be able to get onto the practice field today but noted that his availability for this weekend remained a long shot.
"I think the final challenge or opportunity for Deebo to show that he can go is out here on Friday,"
The San Francisco 49ers are preparing for their Week 10 contest against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Both wide receiver Deebo Samuel and running back Tevin Coleman are ruled out. Neither practiced this week. Two other receivers, River Cracraft and Trent Taylor, are listed as "questionable."
Sunday will be Samuel's third consecutive missed game due to a hamstring injury. He also missed the first three games of the season after suffering a Jones fracture in June.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan noted that cornerback Richard Sherman would not be activated from injured reserve before this weekend's game. The 49ers opened his practice windows this week. Sherman's most-likely return will be on November
