Although the San Francisco 49ers dominated the Los Angeles Rams in Week 1, the injury to De'Zhaun Stribling cast a bit of a shadow over the offense. He entered the regular season with lofty expectations and appeared ready to make an immediate impact.
With the rookie being ruled out for at least a month, a brand new opportunity has opened up for an often overlooked veteran, and it could lead to his best year yet in his 10th season.
Demarcus Robinson has already begun to capitalize on Stribling's absence. On Thursday, he caught two passes on three targets, including a 39-yard endzone bomb thrown by Brock Purdy. The grab occurred almost immediately after Stribling was carted off and injected some much-needed fire into the team's veins.
De'Zhaun Stribling's loss is Demarcus Robinson's gain
With Stribling's rise on the depth chart this summer, Robinson was thought to be a fringe roster player. Often it's the veterans who get cut before other younger players, especially if the veteran in question has never had more than 505 receiving yards in a season.
Now, Robinson has marked himself essential after Stribling's latest ailment. He represents the main vertical threat in the passing game, as both Deebo Samuel and Mike Evans are more possession receivers at this point in their career.
Stribling, on the other hand, has suffered a huge setback, as he was counting on the early-season reps in order to establish a connection with his quarterback. But it may be Robinson who enjoys the added rapport-building, and it could determine the two players' usage levels down the road, even if Stribling comes back after a few weeks.
Demarcus Robinson's underlying numbers show he is the clear next man up for 49ers
Robinson's box score was impactful, but it might be his underlying metrics that mean the most moving forward. Robinson was second on the team in routes run after Evans. Even Deebo, who saw seven targets, only ran 19 routes while playing in just 41.5 percent of the offense's total snaps.
Based on early usage signs, Robinson might very well be in charge of the full-time receiving role opposite Evans, while Samuel is reserved for slot and "wideback" duties. If that's the case, Robinson will have a golden opportunity to cement himself as one of Purdy's most reliable weapons.
The veteran only received three looks from his QB, but he wasn't supposed to be a significant part of the game plan. Perhaps a week's worth of practice can help incorporate him into Kyle Shanahan's play calling. He is already demonstrating his game-changing ability with the long touchdown grab, and the 49ers could always use more of the same explosiveness in the future.
Add us as a preferred source on Google