Deebo Samuel made all the difference in SF 49ers Week 12 win vs. LA Rams

With SF 49ers receiver Deebo Samuel finally healthy, he made the biggest difference in determining a Week 12 win over the LA Rams.

To say that the SF 49ers missed wide receiver Deebo Samuel over the last few weeks feels like a major understatement.

Yes, they’ve also missed the bevy of other injured players, especially tight end George Kittle, running back Raheem Mostert, and quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, but Samuel is a player who seems to immediately transform the Niners offense when he’s on the field.

Just look at the offensive output in games he’s played in versus the games he’s missed.

The last three weeks before the victory of the Rams, the Niners have managed just 27, 17, and 13 points, respectively, which averaged a mediocre 323 yards of total offense, the majority of which was coming late in games as the SF 49ers attempted to come from behind against the Seattle Seahawks, Green Bay Packers, and New Orleans Saints.

Sunday’s win in Los Angeles against the Rams felt different, even though the offense didn’t exactly sparkle for four quarters, but Samuel was magnificent, pulling down a career-high 11 receptions for 133 yards.

The most interesting thing is that he wasn’t provided much in the way of help from quarterback Nick Mullens with those yards, as Samuel racked up 136 yards after the catch. This means the SF 49ers’ quarterback totaled minus-3 air yards when targeting Samuel, a truly incredible feat.

Some of this is the frequent use of the jet sweep play, which counts as a passing play with negative air yards because the pass happens behind the line of scrimmage. But even the more traditional forward passes were relatively short completions, with Samuel doing the bulk of the work.

The best example of this came in the middle of the third quarter.

The SF 49ers offense had the ball 2nd-and-14 at their own 26-yard line, up 14-3 and looking for more. Mullens hit Samuel at the 30-yard line, well short of the sticks, and the receiver was immediately surrounded by three Rams defenders.

Samuel proceeded to duck his head, run over one defender and break into the open field where he picked up several more yards en route to a 26-yard completion. While Mullens did a good job of finding Deebo wide-open in the middle of the field, the majority of the yardage came via the determination and ball carrying skills of the SF 49ers’ wideout.

While the Niners wouldn’t end up scoring on that drive, it illustrates how vital Samuel was for the SF 49ers on offense.

The wide receiver proved his worth again on the drive to set up the game-winning field goal for SF 49ers’ kicker Robbie Gould.

In a tie game, the Niners defense forced a quick punt by the Rams, who held the ball for less than a minute of game time. The SF 49ers’ offense took over at their own 20-yard line, looking to score to secure the victory.

A Mostert 1-yard carry on first down and a short pass to fellow back Jerick McKinnon put the Niners at 3rd-and-2 at their own 28-yard line and the game on the line. Mullens dropped back and looked for his go-to pass-catcher, Samuel, who pulled the ball in at the 33-yard line and turned it upfield, not stopping until he was tackled near midfield.

And while the SF 49ers still had work to do, including converting on 4th-and-1 and picking up more yards to get close enough for the Gould game-winner, Samuel’s performance in that moment and throughout the game was paramount to the team’s success in Los Angeles.

This has not been the sophomore season that Samuel was expecting or that fans were hoping for after his rise to prominence during the Super Bowl run last year, but Sunday proved how key that the receiver is to the success of the SF 49ers on offense.

It will be great to have fellow wideout Brandon Aiyuk with him out there on Monday Night Football against the Bills in Arizona (what a statement!), but Sunday’s performance shows how important Samuel is, not only to the SF 49ers winning on Sunday but to the team moving forward.