4 bold predictions for Brock Purdy, 49ers offense in Week 5 vs. Cardinals
By Peter Panacy
Bold prediction No. 3: Deebo Samuel has 100 yards receiving
While Brandon Aiyuk is the man-coverage specialist, fellow wide receiver Deebo Samuel is much more effective against zone.
According to Pro Football Focus, Arizona operates in zone defense 71.8 percent of the time this season, opening up the door for Samuel to thrive by finding soft spots in coverage. While Samuel, too, has had a relatively quiet start to the season with just 222 receiving yards and zero touchdowns over three games played, PFF was willing to single him out as a go-to option for Sunday's contest.
Samuel potentially benefits from what'll likely be a growing defensive attention on tertiary wide receiver Jauan Jennings, who has shocked the NFL world over the first four weeks with his own 364 receiving yards.
If the Cardinals opt to pay more attention to Jennings, Samuel winds up being the primary beneficiary and records his first 100-yard game of the season as a result.