In the second half of the San Francisco 49ers' Week 15 contest against the Atlanta Falcons, wide receiver Deebo Samuel is still doing Deebo-type things. As if catching passes and making defenders pay in the open field wasn't enough, the third-year receiver continues to make his presence known as a rushing threat. Samuel even attempted to throw a pass in the game. However, it fell incomplete.
Samuel can do it all, and in the second quarter, the wideout received the handoff from quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo and scampered into the end zone for a 10-yard touchdown run. It was his seventh rushing touchdown of the season and sixth in the last five games.
Weekly rushing TD from DEEEEEBO. #FTTB
📺: #ATLvsSF on CBS
— NFL (@NFL) December 19, 2021
📱: NFL app pic.twitter.com/5dgVPkhIK2
As ESPN's Adam Schefter noted before the game, Samuel is on pace for an NFL first since the merger in 1970. He could become the first wide receiver to lead his team in rushing touchdowns. The next closest teammate is running back Elijah Mitchell, who has five rushing touchdowns this season and is inactive against the Falcons due to a knee injury.
Mitchell may not be able to catch up to Samuel either. One, at the time of this post, this game against the Falcons isn't over yet, so Samuel has more time to add to his impressive rushing touchdown total. Two, head coach Kyle Shanahan didn't sound too optimistic that Mitchell would play on Thursday night against the Tennessee Titans either, giving Samuel a chance to further his lead.
The 49ers are currently 7-6 and pushing for a return to the playoffs after a down season in 2020. When healthy, Samuel is proving to be a player that opposing defenses just can't stop.
