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 during his team's 12-6 loss to the Los Angeles Rams.
After catching just two passes for 22 yards in a win over the Chicago Bears, Samuel responded to criticism that he was struggling by posting on X that he was "not struggling at all, just not getting the ball." The 49ers seemed to be making it a point to give Samuel opportunities against the Rams on Thursday, but when the most important chance of the game came his way, Samuel didn't deliver.
The play in question took place on a 3rd-and-10 from the Rams' 29-yard line with the score tied at 3 in the third quarter. Quarterback Brock Purdy threw a ball that Samuel would have likely taken in for a touchdown had he caught it, but instead it bounced off his hands and fell incomplete.
The Deebo Samuel noise is going to get a lot louder after this third down drop... pic.twitter.com/PhXVptCivh
— Arye Pulli (@AryePulliNFL) December 13, 2024
After the game, Samuel took full responsibility for the costly drop.
"Very, very frustrating," said Samuel, who heard a few boos from the Levi's Stadium crowd after he dropped the pass. "At the end of the day, if I catch that ball, there's nothing there but end zone. I've just got to catch that route."
49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan was succinct in his evaluation of that particular play, telling reporters Samuel needed to come down with the ball, particularly at that moment.
"That was a big one," Shanahan said. "Third down, with Deebo's skillset, I would have been shocked if he didn't score on the play. Everyone knows the answer to that. Deebo too -- he needs to catch that ball."
Samuel came into the game with 40 catches for 553 yards and one touchdown on the season with 32 carries for 92 yards and one rushing touchdown. He was targeted seven times against the Rams and had three catches for 16 yards while carrying the ball twice for three yards.
When asked, Samuel told reporters he was happy with the game plan the 49ers implemented on Thursday.
"Yeah," Samuel said. "At the end of the day we didn't come out with the win, so we've just got to be better."
49ers tight end George Kittle was supportive of Samuel after the game, saying that Samuel's statement on social media and his drop on Thursday stem from his excitement and desire to make plays.
"I don't really see Deebo drop passes like that," Kittle said. "I think he's one of the best in the world when it comes to being open across the middle of the field and taking a ball to the house. He's just so excited to make a play because you guys saw his tweet or whatever. It was like a frustration, whatever that is. And I think he's just -- it's not an anxiety, he's just so giddy and ready to play football, and I've never seen him drop a pass like that before... I bet you he's hurting. But Deebo, he's still a very talented player, and I need him to continue to play at a high level for the rest of the season."
Kittle also said he spoke to Samuel after the game, telling him to own up to what happened throughout the week, then put it behind him.
"Talk to the media, take ownership of whatever you had said before," Kittle said of Samuel. "How you played tonight, take ownership of it, leave it in the past and move on because there's better days ahead for Deebo. There's plays to be made for Deebo, and he has more opportunities ahead of him to make plays for this team.
"I believe in Deebo. I've had games where I've had drops. I've had games where I did not play my best game, and people picked me up and allowed me to play at a high level again. And I love Deebo. While it was not his night tonight, when he did get his ball in his hands, I thought fought his ass off to try to make plays for us. I know he'll be eating himself over that one drop, but he has plenty of plays ahead of him."
Samuel likely appreciated Kittle's postgame encouragement but was hard on himself nonetheless.
"George is George," Samuel said. "He came over (and said), 'I've seen you make that play a million times. Don't let it eat you up.' But I feel like I make that play, I think we win the game."
Samuel's production with the 49ers has been up and down since an All-Pro season in 2021 that saw him catch 77 passes for 1,405 yards and six touchdowns while rushing for 365 yards and eight touchdowns. Samuel had a down season in 2022 (56 catches, 632 yards, two touchdowns; 42 carries, 232 yards, three touchdowns) after spending time on the sidelines in the preseason due to a holdout, then rebounded a bit in 2023 with 60 catches for 892 yards and seven touchdowns with 37 carries for 225 yards and five touchdowns. He has three games remaining to finish 2024 on a high note, but 2024 will likely go down as a season to forget for Samuel, with Thursday night's dropped pass being a low point.
"Came across the middle and seeing nothing but end zone, at the end of the day I've got to look the ball in and go score," Samuel said.