The 49ers haven’t been very efficient running with their wideback this year.
When it comes to the San Francisco 49ers skill position players, wide receiver Deebo Samuel is perhaps the most unique, as he has been used as both a wideout and a running back during his time with the team.
In fact, it was that “wideback” role that propelled his stellar All-Pro 2021 season where he caught 77 passes for 1,405 yards, while rushing for 365 yards on 59 carries, totaling 14 touchdowns. Arguably his most memorable moment of that season came in the playoffs when Samuel called his own number to seal the deal against the Dallas Cowboys, rushing for a 26-yard score that proved to be the difference maker in the win.
When Samuel signed his three-year, $71 million deal later that offseason, there was an expectation that his usage as a wideback would continue, as there were even provisions in the contract that would earn him bonus money if he hit certain accolades as a runner.
However, as the team added Christian McCaffrey into the fold, Samuel’s usage as a runner has continued to decrease, as he saw 37 carries over 15 games last year. This year, that volume is slightly up, with the wideout seeing three carries a game.
But, that has come with Samuel’s worst rushing efficiency of his career, as the receiver has gone for 2.9 yards per attempt, far below his career average of 5.9 yards per carry.
What has been the issue when it comes to Samuel’s lack of production in the run game?
“Yeah, he hasn’t had a big one, hasn’t had a bunch of great looks,” head coach Kyle Shanahan acknowledged about Samuel’s attempts on Wednesday. “There are two looks, I think, this year that he did have a pretty good look and just missed it where he could have had a big one. And when you don’t get that big one and you’ve had a few bad looks, then that average isn’t going to be good.”
Offensive line coach Chris Foerster re-iterated the sentiment, pointing out how Samuel has missed some of his chances this year, while the blocking hasn’t been as great, leading to lower efficiency marks across the board.
“Same thing, I think [head coach] Kyle [Shanahan] hit it, it’s the same thing. There are not many ops for him,” Foerster said about Samuel. “He doesn’t get 10 carries a game, he gets a couple carries, and if you miss one or two, either we are not executing properly, wrong call or he misses it. You take the one that Jauan [Jennings] got the holding on in the short-yardage play, Trent [Williams] was just a little late getting through. I don’t know if he would’ve got him or not, but if he’d have got the 13 [Seattle Seahawks LB Ernest Jones IV] the middle linebacker, that play turns up.
“In other years, Trent maybe gets him and Jauan’s block is not even a factor. He cuts up that thing and he’s on the safety, it might be a 25-yard gain. Or he breaks the tackle and it’s even more. Every week, it seems like there’s a play like that. And on those ops, he’s either missed or we’ve missed the opportunity to get him in there.”
Overall, be it an issue with the blocking or Samuel not having the vision for the running lanes, the wideout’s usage as a runner clearly hasn’t been as effective as the team would like to be.
That begs into question how the 49ers’ running back rotation should go, as Samuel’s touches are eating into opportunities for backup Jordan Mason, who has been far more efficient when getting the football this year, averaging 5.1 yards per carry on the ground.
Mason has seen his opportunities cut significantly since McCaffrey’s return, seeing five total snaps over the past two games, while getting only three rushes overall.
Samuel hasn’t been as effective in any area this year, which may be why the 49ers are trying to create a spark for him on the ground. But, if they want to capitalize on their opportunities and find more ways to be efficient, it may be best to look in another direction going forward.