Following his team’s 24-16 loss to the 49ers in Week 6 of the 2020 season, Los Angeles Rams superstar Aaron Donald claimed he didn’t know who Deebo Samuel was.
That Sunday, Samuel caught six passes for 66 yards and a touchdown, while also carrying the ball once for minus-6 yards. A reporter asked Donald if it was difficult to game plan against a playmaker like Samuel.
“Who,” Donald responded. “Who’s that?”
After scoring two touchdowns in Monday night’s 31-10 victory, Samuel posted on his Instagram with the caption, “Who’s that” in a clear dig at Donald.
Donald definitely knows who Deebo is now.
For whatever reason, the high-powered Rams can’t seem to beat the mediocre 49ers. The Rams entered Monday night as favorites with a 7-2 record, new-look roster featuring Odell Beckham Jr. and Von Miller, yet San Francisco has won the past five contests against their NFC West foe since Samuel joined the squad in 2019.
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The versatile Samuel lined up in the backfield at times Monday for 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan, who said his goal was to run the ball 40 times against Donald and a star-studded defense. Samuel carried the ball five times for 36 yards and an eight-yard touchdown run that showcased his speed on the edge.
Samuel also hauled in a 40-yard touchdown pass where he dashed the final 30 yards virtually untouched through the Rams secondary, putting the game out of reach in the fourth quarter. He ended up with five catches and 97 yards.
Donald remains one of the top players in football. Samuel continues to establish himself as one of the game’s most explosive players on offense and is definitely making a name for himself. He ranks second in the NFL with 979 yards and his 18.1 yards per catch is fourth-best in the league for any player with at least 20 receptions.
Samuel and Donald never really get to match up with each other on the field, but you gotta love seeing the trash talk between the two divisional rivals. Samuel and the 49ers still have major work to do to catch up with Donald and the Rams in the NFC West race, though a Wild Card berth suddenly seems attainable after the upset on Monday night.
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