SF 49ers vs. NY Giants: 3 most impressive performances

3 of 4

Brandon Aiyuk, San Francisco 49ers (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /

No. 2: SF 49ers Wide Receiver Brandon Aiyuk

Head coach Kyle Shanahan still has some concerns at wide receiver, particularly with second-year pro Deebo Samuel still out with a foot injury and a general lack of proven depth behind him.

So, what was one of Shanahan’s solutions to alleviating Samuel’s absence?

Run one of Samuel’s notable plays, an end-around rush. This time, however, it was rookie wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk making all the difference with a 19-yard rushing score:

https://twitter.com/49ers/status/1310295562340581376

Aiyuk, the first-round rookie who was out with a hamstring injury in Week 1 and had just two catches for 21 yards in Week 2, had himself essentially a breakout game against the G-Men, putting up that 19-yard touchdown to go with a total of 31 rush yards on three carries, not unlike what Samuel would typically provide.

On top of that, quarterback Nick Mullens was able to find Aiyuk for a team-high five receptions for 70 yards.

In total, Aiyuk posted 101 net yards and the score, leading to the idea the combination of both him and Samuel could eventually jumpstart San Francisco’s passing attack when both players are healthy and ready to go.