Niner Noise
FanSided

5 reasons 49ers ultimately managed to beat Packers in NFL playoffs

By Hans Themistode

San Francisco 49ers defensive end Arik Armstead (91) Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
San Francisco 49ers defensive end Arik Armstead (91) Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports /
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Deebo Samuel
Deebo Samuel (Photo by Quinn Harris/Getty Images) /

Reason No. 4: There’s no stopping Deebo

There wasn’t a clear path to victory for the 49ers. The Packers were the number one overall seed and were favored to win it all. The 49ers were simply expected to become a causality on their way to achieving their lofty goals.

If the 49ers wanted to cause the upset, they knew good and well that wide receiver/de-facto running back Deebo Samuel needed to touch the ball just about every time they were on offense.

No matter where he was on the field, Samuel consistently found the ball heading in his direction. He finished the game with three receptions for 44 yards and 10 carries for 39 rushing yards. He was even placed on special teams, returning the ball twice for 59 total yards.

The biggest play of the game, at least in our opinion, came in the fourth quarter. Facing a 3rd and 7 with just over a minute remaining, Garoppolo placed the ball right into the belly of Samuel’s and allowed him to do the rest. Samuel then proceeded to run for nine yards before limping off the field, officially setting up the 45 yard walk-off field goal to win the game.