The San Francisco 49ers and the Philadelphia Eagles rivalry grew during Week 13 at Lincoln Financial Field. After an NFC Championship defeat a year ago, the 49ers had a lot to prove, including their former All-Pro wide receiver Deebo Samuel.
Samuel notably went back-and-forth on social media last summer with former Eagles defensive back C.J. Gardner-Johnson after Gardner-Johnson referred to Samuel as just “a running back” who “doesn’t run routes.” This was in response to Samuel calling current Eagles defensive back James Bradberry “trash” after Philadelphia’s Super Bowl loss to Kansas City.
On Sunday, Samuel showed the Eagles, Gardner-Johnson, and the league that he is not JUST a running back.
At the start of the first quarter, the 49ers were knocking on the door of the red zone. From the 12-yard line, Samuel lined up in the slot and came on a reverse sweep, grabbing a pitch from Brock Purdy. With misdirection taking the Eagles attention in the opposite direction, Samuel beat defensive lineman Haason Redick around the edge. Next step was a sprint to the pylon, Samuel got there first.
That touchdown was the 49ers third in a row, but Samuel was far from done.
At the 4:04 mark of the third quarter, Deebo Sameul ran a simple in-cutting route over the middle of the field. Uncovered, Brock Purdy delivered the football and Samuel braced for an immediate impact. Eagles linebacker Nicholos Morrow swarmed to make the tackle, but Samuel absorbed the initial contact and shook off the 220-pound defender.
Samuel then turned and burned up field, outrunning the Eagles secondary and finally carrying Darius Slay Jr. into the endzone for an explosive 48-yard score to put the 49ers up 28-13 in Philadelphia.
That wasn't enough for Samuel.
The cherry on top was a backbreaking 46-yard pitch-and-catch on a wide receiver screen set up for Samuel. The 49ers have led the NFL in Yards After Catch (YAC) since Kyle Shanahan took over as Head Coach in 2017. Samuel is unquestionably the most dangerous member of the 49ers skill position group when the ball is in hands.
Philadelphia found out firsthand.
All three touchdowns illustrated Samuel’s invaluable skill-set of route-running, physicality, and breakaway speed that separates him from ‘traditional’ wide receivers across the NFL. It’s why he was rewarded last offseason with a 3-year, $71.5 million contract. In his second season of the deal, No. 19 is living up to his dollar figure as an indispensable piece of the best offense in football.