San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel has been a shadow of his usual dynamic self this season. With just 511 receiving yards and one touchdown, he's far off the pace to match last year's 892 receiving yards and career-high seven touchdowns.
Typically a dual-threat weapon, Samuel has also seen his rushing production dwindle. This season, he's managed only 79 yards and a single touchdown on the ground.
Sunday's loss to the Green Bay Packers further highlighted Samuel's struggles. He caught just one pass for 21 yards, with two others slipping through his hands—one resulting in an interception. His performance earned him a career-low 45.5 offensive grade from Pro Football Focus.
Deebo Samuel today:
• 4 targets
— Coach Yac 🗣 (@Coach_Yac) November 25, 2024
• 1 catch
• 21 yards
• 2 drops pic.twitter.com/nSYhQhqeNl
On Monday, head coach Kyle Shanahan spoke to reporters via a conference call, offering insights into Samuel's recent dip in production and what it might take to reignite his explosiveness.
"I think he has the burst that he needs," Shanahan declared. "He didn't get a lot of opportunities last night. He had a pretty good kick return that I thought would've changed the huge momentum of the game. Unfortunately, it got called back with that holding call. I thought he had a good screen."
Shanahan pointed to Samuel's two credited drops as pivotal missed opportunities.
"He's got to catch both of those balls, and if he catches both of those balls, he's got a chance to do what he's good at after that and run with it," Shanahan explained. "And he didn't get that opportunity because he didn't catch both those balls. So, if he does, then that would be two more opportunities."
Shanahan acknowledged that Samuel's struggles weren't an isolated issue. The entire team failed to find a successful rhythm against the Packers.
"We weren't consistent, and we didn't participate very much in the first half," Shanahan admitted. "And the second half, with those turnovers and everything just killing our drives. I think we had a total of 50-something plays, but we really weren't able to stay out there consistently enough to get any player going."
While Samuel has posted two games with over 100 receiving yards this season, the last came on October 10, so it's been a significant drought. Samuel and the 49ers will look to reverse their fortunes on Sunday when facing the Buffalo Bills in what promises to be another tough test for Shanahan's squad.
