49ers vs. Cardinals: 5 Niners who stood out in Week 5 loss

No. 4: 49ers Wide Receiver Brandon Aiyuk

It’s weird how good things tend to happen when the Niners involve Brandon Aiyuk in the offense. And even though he’s far down the rankings of NFL wide receivers and their production five weeks into the season, at least it’s a good sign for Aiyuk to be making an impact more.

Yes, the impact isn’t close to his fellow wideout, Deebo Samuel, who also stood out for good reasons and recorded the offense’s lone touchdown. But against the Cardinals, who made it a focal point to take Samuel out of the game plan, Aiyuk was able to haul in two catches on four targets for 32 yards.

They weren’t easy catches either.

Trey Lance showcased his potential pinpoint accuracy by attempting and completing the bottom pass:

Then, on a 2nd-and-25 play, Aiyuk hauled in a one-armed catch to move the chains after picking up 26 yards for a first down.

Two contested catches on two separate plays, which is pretty indicative of how he can impact the offense if given the opportunity.

If Aiyuk was in head coach Kyle Shanahan’s doghouse before, he shouldn’t be any longer. And the San Francisco offense would be that much better off if it figured out how to get the ball to Aiyuk more frequently.