49ers grades, analysis from refreshing Week 8 win vs. Bears
By Peter Panacy
49ers Week 8 Grades: Wide Receivers
Two things can be equally true.
The Niners have a good array of wide receivers who can make plays, namely Deebo Samuel. But this unit can also struggle with drops, too. In that latter case, Samuel dropped two passes early in the game, while veteran receiver Mohamed Sanu dropped another. So did fellow wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk.
Well, maybe three things should be a factor.
Aiyuk got off the skid with a season-best 45 receiving yards and even managed to convert on a two-point conversion despite his drop taking place on a would-be touchdown toss from Jimmy Garoppolo.
Yet the biggest impact was felt by Samuel, whose 50-yard reception towards the end of the first half helped set up a key field goal. And then, Samuel managed to rip off 83 yards on a screen pass that nearly went for a touchdown, only to be ruled out of bounds just shy of the goal line:
https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1454885440658423813
At least San Francisco followed that one up with a touchdown instead of a field-goal try.
More importantly, Samuel finished the game with a team-high six receptions for a whopping 171 yards, which not only will keep him within the top five in receiving yards through Week 8 but also surpassed Hall of Famer Jerry Rice’s prior franchise record of most receiving yards over the first seven games.
Despite the drops, Samuel is very much a star.