Doghouse be damned.
Questions swirled around Brandon Aiyuk’s usage to start the season as he totaled just nine catches on 16 targets through the first seven weeks of the season. But the second-year wideout has become a bigger part of the offense in the eight games since, with 33 receptions (50 targets), 489 yards and three touchdowns.
Aiyuk joined 95.7 The Game’s “Damon & Ratto” Tuesday to discuss what changed over the past few weeks. You can listen to the full interview above.
“Practice is where it all started with, for them,” Aiyuk said. “Just understanding what they wanted to see from me on a daily basis at practice – and not even just daily but weekly – and putting together weeks of practices. And understanding how they want me to practice and how they want me to go about doing things. I think once we were on the same page in terms of that, we were able to flip the page and move on.”
The quiet start to the season disappointed many who expected Aiyuk to break out his sophomore season. In 12 games during his 2020 rookie season, Aiyuk racked up 60 catches, 748 yards and five touchdowns. He wowed with his big-play ability and body control, and looked primed to be Robin to Deebo Samuel’s Batman at wide receiver. Now the 49ers are starting to see that production on a more consistent basis, though his electrifying 36-yard catch Sunday was his lone reception.
Just as Aiyuk’s season has turned around, the 49ers have flipped their fortunes this season by winning five of their past six while emerging as a No. 6 seed in the NFC. Aiyuk said the team has been trying to maintain the same standard of football it played in Week 10, when the 49ers upset the Rams 31-10. At the time, the Monday night victory moved the Niners’ record to 4-5.
“We came out of that game understanding that’s the type of football that we need to play on a weekly basis,” Aiyuk said. “If we do that, we give ourselves a really good chance at winning football games.”
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Over the past couple of weeks, Aiyuk said he’s been scoreboard watching and rooting for his preferred NFC playoff scenarios. He admitted he lit up a bit when the Levi’s Stadium PA man announced the Arizona Cardinals suffered a major upset loss to the Detroit Lions on Sunday.
“I’m always watching football,” Aiyuk said. “But now I’m understanding how everything works and who we want to win, who we want to lose and kind of getting extra breathing room, who we’re rooting against, or who we’re rooting with. I’ve noticed that action within the past couple weeks that I’m starting to pay attention to scores a lot more.”
