Deebo Samuel should dominate in 49ers matchup vs. Falcons

The 49ers are looking to get Deebo Samuel his ‘statement’ game for 2022, and going up against a weak Falcons pass defense is a great way to do it.

San Francisco 49ers All-Pro wide receiver Deebo Samuel has had a good season in 2022 so far.

Not exactly a prolific one like the one he enjoyed a year ago, though.

Sure, the Niners have gone through some offensive challenges over the first five weeks of the season, and one can argue head coach Kyle Shanahan’s squad didn’t find much consistency on this side of the ball until its Week 5 victory over the Carolina Panthers.

Interestingly enough, though, the Panthers actually boast a respectable defense. It’s not elite, but it’s challenging.

The same shouldn’t be said about San Francisco’s Week 6 opponent, though, the Atlanta Falcons.

Through those five weeks, Samuel has amassed 266 receiving yards on 20 catches, 125 rush yards on 21 attempts and three net touchdowns, and it’s weird to think his first pass-catching score came in Week 5, not earlier.

Sure, those are respectable numbers.

But, if Samuel is going to have one of those games where he simply takes over, the Falcons make the perfect opportunity to do so.

Deebo Samuel should feast vs. Falcons’ weak pass defense

Atlanta is going to do its best to control the clock by running the ball a lot on Sunday, which could translate into Samuel and the 49ers offense not being on the field as much as it otherwise would like.

There’s a good reason for this. The Falcons enter the contest with the NFL’s 20th-ranked scoring defense, having given up 122 points thus far, yet their pass defense has surrendered more yards (1,391) than only four other teams: the Pittsburgh Steelers, Tennessee Titans and Baltimore Ravens.

Additionally, Atlanta has given up 538 yards after the catch point, too, which equates to an average of over 100 per game and also works well in Samuel’s “yards after the catch” factor for which he’s so well known.

The Niners are going to want to feature Samuel opposite the Falcons’ No. 1 cornerback, A.J. Terrell, as frequently as possible this Sunday, too.

It’s a matchup Samuel should have little trouble winning, especially considering opposing quarterbacks are posting a 110.4 passer rating when targeting the 16th overall pick from the 2020 NFL Draft out of Clemson.

Read More: Why is 49ers’ duo of Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk so underrated?

There’s a good chance fellow wideout Brandon Aiyuk winds up having himself a game, too, especially if Atlanta opts to sell out in its coverage of Samuel.

Even then, however, Samuel’s prowess for this game looms large, and San Francisco would be more than wise to take advantage of it.