The San Francisco 49ers picked up a hard-fought victory over the Green Bay Packers in the Divisional Round of the playoffs last weekend.
One of the most impressive aspects of the win was they did it without do-everything superstar Deebo Samuel who suffered an injury early on that knocked him out for the rest of the game…
The play Deebo got injured on 🤕!
Good news is, it looks like hes going to he okay. Hopefully we will be able to have him ready to go for the NFC Championship game. #49ers #FTTB #Deebo #NFL pic.twitter.com/SRYj15WqhL
— Chris – NFL Content (@chrissantosss_) January 21, 2024
Now, the question on everyone’s mind is will Samuel be able to play in the NFC Championship Game this Sunday?
The Packers put up a hell of a fight and outplayed the Niners for large stretches of the game … San Fracisco knows their margin for error won’t be nearly as great against the red-hot Detroit Lions.
Fortunately, 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan confirmed that imaging did not reveal a break in Samuel’s shoulder.
“It wasn’t broken, so that was a real good sign,” Shanahan said. “But it’s still hurting too much for us to really have an idea how he will heal up this week. So, we’ve just got to be patient, see how he feels.”
“Based on if it’s improving, it will give us a better idea whether he has a chance for the game or not,” he added.
#49ers Kyle Shanahan says Deebo Samuel did not suffer a fracture to his shoulder:
“Still hurting too much for us to have an idea for how it's going to heal up this week.”
Shanahan thinks he will have a better idea of Deebos’ availability on Wednesday. pic.twitter.com/ylQ04i6X9l
— OurSF49ers (@OurSf49ers) January 22, 2024
The injury occurred with 5:35 left in the first quarter when Samuel caught a pass from quarterback Brock Purdy over the middle. Battling for extra yards, Samuel was met by multiple Packers defenders, resulting in the injury.
Despite briefly returning to the game, Samuel eventually made two trips to the locker room and did not reenter the game, being officially ruled out at the beginning of the third quarter.
After the game, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that members of the organization said Samuel was “OK,” and the team considers his chances of playing against the Lions as “50-50.”
The Niners have seen a noticeable difference in offensive performance with Samuel on the field. In the regular season, they averaged 7.1 yards per play when he was in the lineup compared to 5.7 yards per play when he was absent.
Kyle Shanahan without Deebo pic.twitter.com/czc3WPW67q
— John Chapman (@JL_Chapman) January 21, 2024
In the event that Samuel is unable to play, wide receiver Jauan Jennings is poised to take on an increased role.
Jennings had an impactful performance against the Packers, recording five catches for 61 yards, including four crucial first downs on six targets.
“Jauan always contributes,” Shanahan said. “He stepped it up big for us, one of the biggest warriors out on the field, and I love that he’s on our team.”
If I was Kyle Shanahan, and Deebo can’t go. I’ll put CMC in Deebo role and spit carries with Mitchell/Mason. CMC is still my primary running back, but I’ll utilize all my weapons to the fullest. JUST A THOUGHT! #FTTB #49erx pic.twitter.com/5QxHPbmBk6
— Smedium King 👑 🎮🎧✈️💍#FTTB (@Delta49erx) January 23, 2024
Do you think Samuel will end up playing on Sunday?
It’s hard to imagine him missing such an enormous game. If he plays, but is nowhere near 100%, do you think the Lions can pull off the upset?
Besides Samuel’s health, what are the biggest keys of the game???