Deebo Samuel's Unhinged 2021 Season
Truly a one-of-a-kind talent
It’s funny that in a week so full of news, there was nothing I really wanted to talk about more. If you want my thoughts on those things, well here you go:
Tom Brady is the greatest quarterback of all-time but I never rooted for him so I’m not all that worked up about his retirement.
I hope Brian Flores speaking out actually does something and that he can still be a NFL head coach because he certainly deserves to be one.
Jim Harbaugh is a good coach. He had an insane talent gap to overcome in the Ohio State-Michigan rivalry and I don’t think nearly anyone could have done it, plus the man wins everywhere he goes.
Now let’s talk about something more fun: Deebo Samuel.
I know I’m the 809th person to talk about how exciting of a player Samuel is, but I don’t care. Every time I watched the San Francisco 49ers this year, he flashed in one way or another in a way that almost no one in the league can.
I also knew that the 49ers decided to make him a part-time running back midseason, which is cool. What I don’t think I realized, though, is how drastic that shift was in his numbers.
Because I’m a dumb guy, I often just see how well a player is doing through fantasy football production. If you do that, Deebo’s numbers don’t seem to tell a specific tale.
I see this and think yeah, that guy had a terrific season and was remarkably consistent. But without knowing, when did he start getting carries? When did the 49ers start winning games? I don’t think it’s clear at all, so let’s break it down further.
Weeks 1-9: Just A Good Receiver
Samuel was doing everything he can as a wide out to start the season. In San Francisco’s first eight games, Samuel caught 49 passes for 882 yards and 4 touchdowns.
He was a consistent menace, never dropping below 52 yards, while still having the explosive ability to get 189 yards against the Lions, 171 yards against the Bears and 156 yards against the Seahawks.
What did that mean for the 49ers? It meant a 3-5 record, with wins against the Lions, Eagles and Bears. When Samuel was held under 170 receiving yards, the 49ers were 1-5.
There were some rushing stats in this portion of the season, and Samuel even scored a 13-yard rushing touchdown against the Cardinals. But that was his only rush of that game, and one of six rushes he had in the first eight games combined. Those six carries went for a total of 22 yards (3.7 yards per carry).
It was at this point that San Fran seemed to realize it needed a shake up.
Weeks 10-14: Just A Good Running Back
And by shaking it up, that meant completely taking Samuel out of the pass game and adding him as a running option.
Weird, certainly, but the numbers mostly follow this.
Week 10 is the anomaly: Samuel had five catches for 97 yards and a score, but also got involved on the ground with five carries for 36 yards and a touchdown.
But from Week 11 to 14, Samuel played in three games. He had three catches, one in each game, compared to 22 carries. Those three receptions went for 49 total yards and no touchdowns. The 22 rushes went for 182 yards (8.3 YPC) and 4 touchdowns.
Most importantly to San Francisco, the team went 4-0 during this change, bringing it right back into the playoff race.
Rest Of The Season: All-Around Deebo
From that point forward, Samuel got involved everywhere that Kyle Shanahan could put him. His lowest total yardage in a game after Week 14 was 82 (63 receiving, 19 rush), and even then he added a touchdown in an easy victory over the lowly Texans.
And from Week 10 to the end of their postseason run, the 49ers were 9-2 in games Samuel played in.
Samuel’s final season stats (including playoffs) are absolutely obscene even without the added context:
87 catches, 1,559 yards (17.9 YPC), 7 TD
86 rushes, 502 yards (5.8 YPC), 9 TD
173 total touches, 2,061 yards, 16 TD
Looking at how he got to those numbers makes them even more special.
I hope Samuel can replicate this type of production next season, and he is only 26 years old so it is absolutely possible. What makes it even more possible is the fact that San Francisco only fully began to utilize him for about half the season.
Regardless, this is the type of year I won’t forget, and one that only a truly special player could have done.
Deebo Samuel: Sauce God.
If you are interested in me talking about random topics like this, or on my more focused posts with Big Ten women’s basketball, you can subscribe with the button above or share with the button below.