LISTEN: The 49ers Season Is Over →

49ers-Falcons: Deebo Samuel gets teammates fired up by sending defender’s mouthpiece flying

Dec 19, 2021 at 6:27 PM


placeholder image

Stan Szeto-USA TODAY Sports

Videos are auto-populated by an affiliate. This site has no control over the videos that appear above.

The 49ers came into Sunday's game against the Atlanta Falcons already fired up to play given the postseason implications of the game and the energy of the home crowd at Levi's Stadium, but they got even more of a spark when they saw wide receiver/running back Deebo Samuel send Falcons cornerback A.J. Terrell's mouthpiece flying through the air.

Samuel collided with Terrell during a 21-yard reception in the third quarter and separated him from his mouthpiece, as can be seen in the video below. The play set up a touchdown run from Jeff Wilson that gave the 49ers a 24-10 lead en route to a 31-13 win, and it got his teammates excited in the process.

"We feed on that big time," 49ers fullback Kyle Juszczyk said after the win. "I know personally I do. I saw a lot of flexing out there, and that got me hyped today. It definitely has a trickle-down effect to everybody."

One would expect such hits from the defense, but it when the offense gets physical, it gets everyone fired up. Also among the highlight hits from the 49ers on Sunday was this pancake block from offensive lineman Trent Williams on a touchdown run from Juszczyk -- certainly not a rare sight from Williams but one that was noticed by the defensive players watching from the sidelines, just like the hit from Samuel.

"Definitely like to see the physicality from our guys," defensive end Nick Bosa said. "I saw Trent had a good one on Juice's touchdown. But yeah, whenever we see like (wide receiver Brandon) Aiyuk or Deebo lower their shoulder and George try and get those extra yards, you can hear the crowd and you get excited for it too. That's just our style of football."

Samuel's run was indicative of the physical nature of the performance the 49ers had on Sunday. There were a number of hard hits from the 49ers on the day, which is how they aim to play in every game. Their physicality was apparent on Sunday, and it led to the outcome they were hoping to get.

"That's kind of our goal every week," 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said. "We've got some guys who enjoy the physicality of the game, whether they have the ball in their hand, or whether they're blocking, or whether they're hitting on defense. I think that's extremely important to being a good team."

Hits like Samuel's also tell the 49ers something about the opponent they're facing. 49ers tight end George Kittle said that the other team's reaction to physical play is an indicator of what kind of challenge awaits on the other side of the field.

"When you have the opportunity with your ball in your hands run through a guy's face, it really shows what type of guys you're playing against," Kittle said. "Deebo hit that guy pretty dang hard and I took him a little bit to get up. I felt like we made a lot of plays like that today where we were the guys hitting harder than some of their defensive guys. Not all of them -- (defensive lineman) Grady Jarrett, he hits really hard. 94 (DL Anthony Rush) smacked me a couple times. But I thought our offense played very physical today."

As for Samuel, he wasn't aware of what he had done on the play at first, but he quickly realized that he turned in a moment for the highlight film.

"Not really until I saw the replay and everybody was going crazy, so I knew something crazy kind of happened," Samuel said after the game.

And just as the rest of the team fed off him, Samuel used their reaction to give himself some fuel the rest of the way.

"It's just kind of the game that I always play," Samuel said. "Just to see my team riled up and stuff, it does give you a little confidence boost and a little energy, then you go out there and really try to do it again all game because not too many DBs want to be a part of that, I'm not going to lie to you."

There may well be more highlights like Samuel's over the remainder of the season given the intensity the 49ers will need to play with in order to secure a playoff spot. It wouldn't be a surprise if Samuel was the source of more of them, considering the type of reaction he got from his teammates on Sunday.

"That's an energy boost, for sure," Wilson said. "Especially seeing him have that same mentality and run like me, that's just like candy for a baby. It's just like gimme, gimme, gimme, gimme, I want some of that, you know what I mean? ...He's a tremendous player and he's only getting started."

Related News

Enjoy this article? Follow us to never miss more!

Powered by Follow.it


Comments

More San Francisco 49ers News

placeholder image

Talanoa Hufanga delivers inspiring message to 49ers teammates after loss to Rams

By David Bonilla
Dec 12

The San Francisco 49ers' playoff hopes are all but dashed. Thursday night's 12-6 loss to the Los Angeles Rams dropped the team to 6-8, leaving a postseason berth unlikely. With three games remaining, the focus shifts to how the team will respond to adversity and finish the...


placeholder image

George Kittle reveals message to teammates amid 49ers' struggles

By David Bonilla
Dec 5

Tight end George Kittle is widely regarded as one of the most optimistic voices in the San Francisco 49ers locker room. That positive mindset remains steadfast, even as the team faces playoff elimination with five games left in the season. The 49ers still have a shot at...


placeholder image

49ers-Rams: Deebo Samuel takes accountability for crucial dropped pass

By Kirk Larrabee
Dec 12

Just days after making headlines for suggesting a lack of opportunities was at the root of his diminished production this season, San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel was upfront Thursday night about a pivotal dropped pass that potentially took points off the board...


placeholder image

Deebo Samuel, De'Vondre Campbell succumb to frustration as 49ers season washes away

By JD Salazar
Dec 12

In a rain-soaked stadium, facing their mirror image once again, the San Francisco 49ers stood by and let their season slip away. If not officially, the 12-6 loss to the Los Angeles Rams marks the end of San Francisco's faint playoff hopes. The 49ers, who now fall to 6-8, have...


Latest

Trending News

Share 49ersWebzone