49ers stats – Page 8 – Syndication Server

Deebo Samuel goes over 1,000 receiving yards, now holds quirky NFL record

#49ers WR Deebo Samuel reached 1,000 receiving yards vs. the Vikings, and in the process set an obscure NFL record!

https://embed.sendtonews.com/oembed/?SC=7IjgPUVyxz-1645000-7498&format=json&offsetx=0&offsety=0&floatwidth=400&floatposition=bottom-right&float=on

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbxacb60r3mr0ac player_id=none image=https://ninerswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel only caught one pass against the Minnesota Vikings for 12 yards. That was still enough to put him over 1,000 yards for the season, making him the first 49ers wide receiver to do so since Anquan Boldin in 2014. Samuel on Sunday also rushed for 66 yards and put himself at the top of one of an obscure NFL all-time list.

Samuel’s 66 rushing yards gave him 203 for the season, giving him the most rushing yards ever by a receiver with 1,000 receiving yards.

The previous high according to the Pro Football Reference database belonged to Rams wide receiver Robert Woods, who had 157 rushing yards and 1,219 receiving yards in the 2018 season. That same year Chiefs wide receiver Tyreek Hill put up 151 rushing yards alongside 1,479 receiving yards. That’s the fourth-most all-time. Third belongs to Joey Galloway who had 154 rushing yards and 1,039 receiving yards in 1995 with the Seahawks.

What’s perhaps most remarkable outside of the yardage is the amount of carries Samuel has racked up this season. He’s at 25 carries after Sunday and it appears the 49ers aren’t going to shy away from letting him run the ball, although a groin injury he suffered Sunday could slow him down for the time being.

If Samuel can stay relatively healthy the rest of the way and he maintains this level of usage in the 49ers’ run game, he might set a rushing total for 1,000-yard receivers that doesn’t get touched for a long time.

[lawrence-related id=672247]

One 49ers DL holds key to defensive turnaround after bye

The #49ers defense could take a big step forward with more production from one defensive lineman.

There wasn’t much going right for the 49ers for the first five weeks of the season, and finding consistent bright spots hasn’t been easy. There are two names, Deebo Samuel and Nick. Bosa, who jump out as the team’s best players after five games, but there’s an under-the-radar star for San Francisco who could hold the key to a turnaround after the bye.

Defensive lineman Arik Armstead hasn’t been able to generate sacks the way he did in 2019 when he led the team with 10.0, but his play in 2021 is one of the reasons the 49ers defense has managed to keep its head above water despite a rash of injuries in an already thin secondary.

After a down year in 2020 where Armstead struggled on a beat up defensive front, he came out strong in 2021 with 18 pressures and 1.0 sacks in five games per Pro Football Focus. The sack totals are still lacking, but his presence in opposing backfields has been regular this year.

In Week 5 against the Cardinals he had two different instances where he collapsed the pocket from the inside to force throwaways by Arizona quarterback Kyler Murray. Those two instances offered good examples of why Armstead is so important for San Francisco.

When he’s playing well, he’s an excellent run defender on the edge and a very effective interior pass rusher. That versatility was part of the reason the 49ers gave him a five-year deal worth $85 million last offseason. He’s supposed to impact games as a pass rusher, and San Francisco’s defensive line is dependent on his play up front. When he’s not playing well, the entire line suffers. When he’s making regular appointments in the opponent’s backfield, the 49ers defense looks like a playoff-caliber unit.

Through five weeks Armstead has been better than he was in 2020, and it’s helped San Francisco field a defense that’s No. 16 in points allowed, No. 7 yards and No. 16 in DVOA per Football Outsiders. There’s another level for the 49ers to reach, and it’ll require another jump from a player like Armstead. If he continues churning out pressures and helping the 49ers’ defensive front more consistently impact opposing quarterbacks, San Francisco should have a defense worthy of a trip back to the postseason.

49ers stats: Deebo Samuel, Nick Bosa headline leaders at the bye week

Who are the #49ers statistical leaders at the bye? A couple surprises who could stick until season’s end.

The 49ers’ group of stat leaders was always bound to look a little different this season. New names and new roles meant some potential changes in who was out front on the club’s statistical production.

It turns out that while some names are a little different, there aren’t a ton of surprises after five games with a couple of minor exceptions. What’s more concerning than a changing leaderboard is how unremarkable some of the team’s should-be leaders have been when it comes their box score output.

There’s still 12 more games for players who’re lagging to climb out of an early hole, but it wouldn’t be a surprise if the team’s statistical leaders going into the bye are all still there when the season comes to a close.

What did the 49ers do well through 5 games?

The first five weeks weren’t pretty for the #49ers, but they did do a few things really well which should help them bounce back over the final 12 games.

The 49ers didn’t get out to the start they wanted in 2021, now they enter their bye week at 2-3 and in last in the NFC West. While plenty has gone wrong for San Francisco, there are some reasons for optimism moving into their final 12 games.

Here are some of the things the 49ers did well through the first five weeks:

Deebo Samuel off to scorching hot start for 49ers

Only two #49ers ever had more yards through two weeks of a season than Deebo Samuel has this year.

https://embed.sendtonews.com/oembed/?SC=X2hJmVrGeh-1518223-6173&format=json&offsetx=0&offsety=0&floatwidth=400&floatposition=bottom-right&float=on

49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel entered the 2021 season needing to make a jump. He battled injuries in 2020 and was used primarily as a gadget player at or near the line of scrimmage. He’s off to a scorching hot start in 2021 and has passed any remaining tests with flying colors.

Samuel opened the season with a nine-catch, 189-yard performance in Detroit. He followed that with a six-catch, 93-yard outing in Philadelphia. His 282 receiving yards through two weeks are the third most ever for by a 49ers player.

Only Jerry Rice with 285 receiving yards to open the 1989 season, and Bernie Casey with 288 receiving yards the first two weeks of 1964 had more. Neither player had as many receptions as Samuel though, who has 15 through two weeks – tied with Dwight Clark for the fourth most ever by a 49ers receiver in that time frame.

The 49ers needed Samuel to have a big year, and that was before Brandon Aiyuk opened the year as a relative non-factor on offense. Tight end George Kittle has mostly been muted as well, leaving Samuel to account for 56 percent of the 49ers’ receiving yards through two games.

If Samuel keeps up this pace, he could not only be the 49ers’ No. 1 receiver, but he’ll finish the year as one of the best receivers in football.

[listicle id=669694]

7 times Jimmy Garoppolo came through in the clutch

Jimmy Garoppolo’s clutch moments this year are why the 49ers’ confidence in him isn’t waning going into Super Bowl 54.

Jimmy Garoppolo’s postseason productivity hasn’t been impressive from a volume standpoint. His 27 pass attempts, 208 yards, one touchdown and one interception through two games have raised questions about his ability to carry the 49ers in a Super Bowl.

While the small sample size of a couple postseason games certainly garners that kind of question, the larger, full-season sample size we have indicates Garoppolo and the 49ers offense will be fine if the quarterback has to throw it 30-plus times, or come up with points in crunch time. Right tackle Mike McGlinchey expressed this sentiment during the Super Bowl Bye week with 95.7 the Game in San Francisco.

He certainly wasn’t perfect, and had some big moments come late in games where he didn’t perform very well overall. His numbers when trailing say a lot about why the 49ers have so much faith in their quarterback.

San Francisco didn’t spend a lot of time behind in games, but when they were down, Garoppolo completed 72.7 percent of his 161 throws. He had 1,470 yards, 11 touchdowns, three interceptions and 9.1 yards per attempt when the 49ers were behind in a game. His yards per attempt, completion rate, and 115.7 passer rating were all higher than when the 49ers were ahead or tied.

His 13.5 pass attempts per game have been anomaly borne from a dominant run game and big, early leads.

For evidence that Garoppolo is capable of throwing the 49ers to wins, here are seven times the 49ers rode their quarterback to victory this season.

Pages: 12345678

Dee Ford’s return should have major impact on 49ers defense

Numbers say Dee Ford was the key to unlocking the dominant 49ers pass rush.

The 49ers began the 2019 season with a ferocious pass rush that spearheaded a historically great pass defense.

During the second half of the season though, that pass rush didn’t just regress — it cratered. San Francisco averaged 4.0 sacks per game in the first 11 contests, to averaging 0.8 sacks over their final five games. The 49ers had four sacks combined over the final five weeks after posting four or more in seven of their first 11 games.

Their pressure rate was a little better than those sack totals indicate, but the pass rush wasn’t the overwhelming force of nature over those final five weeks. They went from allowing 136.9 passing yards per game to allowing 240.2, and it directly coincides with the declining pass rush production.

Luckily for the 49ers, they’re on track to get three key players back from injury for the postseason. That includes strong safety Jaquiski Tartt, linebacker Kwon Alexander, and perhaps most importantly, defensive end Dee Ford.

Ford was the 49ers’ first step in bolstering their pass rush. They sent a 2020 second-round pick to the Chiefs in exchange for the defensive end during the 2019 offseason. Then they signed him to a five-year deal worth up to $85 million with $33.3 million guaranteed.

While hamstring injuries have limited his availability, Ford’s impact when he has been on the field has been massive.

Josh Dubow of the Associated Press tweeted that the 49ers’ pressure rate with Ford on the field was 32 percent. That number plummeted to 24.8 with Ford off the field.

Unsurprisingly, that increased pressure rate with Ford on the field culminated in a much higher sack rate. Rich Hribar of Sharp Football Analysis tweeted that San Francisco’s sack rate with Ford was 16.2 percent. Without him that number fell to 5.4 percent.

That massive difference in pressure and sack rate sends ripple effects through the entire defense. Comfortable quarterbacks that get time to survey the field are often going to make easy work of even the best secondaries. Quarterbacks that’re constantly under duress have a much more difficult time finding open receivers. It’s not a difficult or complicated concept, but the 49ers presented a dramatic version of it this season.

Even if Ford returns in a limited fashion where he plays on passing downs, he’ll have a dramatic impact Saturday and through whatever postseason games the 49ers play. If their pass rush returns to the form it had earlier in the season, they’ll be very difficult to beat.

It’s impossible to ignore Raheem Mostert’s historic production

Raheem Mostert is playing like an all-time great running back.

Raheem Mostert’s emergence over the last three weeks has buoyed a struggling 49ers run game. It’s not the first time he’s flashed as a productive NFL running back, but now he’s leaving the 49ers’ coaching staff no choice but to play him.

With Tevin Coleman struggling and Matt Breida dealing with an injury, Mostert has become an integral part of the rushing attack. He’s responded to the opportunity with 35 carries for 260 yards (7.4 yards per carry) and three touchdowns, along with five catches for 70 yards and a touchdown.

[lawrence-related id=644658,638994]

His three touchdowns have come in each of the last three games, including one against the Ravens when he set career highs in carries (19) and yards (146).

His 29 carries the last two weeks are his most ever in a two-game stretch.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan said the touches aren’t going away as long as Mostert keeps producing.

[lawrence-related id=645977]

“Raheem’s earned it over these last few weeks,” Shanahan said. “I mean, how many games can you go and how many years can you go averaging six yards a carry, somewhere in there? I mean, we keep trying to balance it out and stuff, but what Raheem has done these last few weeks and has continued to do, we need to give him more opportunities. He’s given us no choice. I’m happy for him and it’s been great. He’s been extremely impressive.”

Mostert is averaging 6.0 yards per carry on 102 attempts. Only 27 players have ever averaged 6 yards per carry on 100-plus rushes over the course of a season, and 11 of them were quarterbacks.

[lawrence-related id=649897]

This is proving to be more the norm than a flash in the pan for the former undrafted free agent. His numbers in three seasons have been eye-popping despite inconsistent work.

Since Shanahan arrived in 2017, Mostert has 899 yards and five touchdowns . on 142 attempts. That’s good for 6.3 yards per carry. Only five other players have ever done that in their careers: Michael Vick, Tavon Austin, Bobby Douglass, Randall Cunningham and Percy Harvin. Mostert is the only running back in that group.

[lawrence-related id=649635]

Shanahan said part of the reason for Mostert’s success is his speed, and teams’ inability to adjust to it:

“Well, he’s faster than most people and I think sometimes it’s a little bit deceptive,” Shanahan said. “I mean, you see guys who have an angle on him and all of a sudden, they just don’t. I don’t know if they don’t know that he’s that fast, because our other guys are fast too. I’m not exactly sure what it is, but when you do it week in and week out, I mean, it’s time for people to notice. I mean, he’s been pretty damn good and he needs some more opportunities because he’s making the best of it.”

Mostert didn’t enter the season with a big role on offense, but he’s played his way into one just in time for the most important stretch of the year.

[lawrence-related id=650247]

Jimmy Garoppolo was very good vs. Ravens’ blitz

Jimmy Garoppolo repeatedly beat the Ravens’ blitz-heavy scheme.

The Baltimore Ravens had a plan for Jimmy Garoppolo. They were going to blitz the 49ers’ quarterback effectively every time he dropped back. Perhaps the only thing that kept Garoppolo from a big game through the air was the rain-soaked conditions at M&T Bank Stadium.

Baltimore sent extra rushers at Garoppolo on 84 percent of his drop backs Sunday according to ESPN’s Nick Wagoner. Garoppolo finished the game 15-of-21 for 165 yards and one touchdown overall. Most of that productivity came against the blitz thanks to the sheer volume of them dialed up by Ravens defensive coordinator Wink Martindale.

Per Wagoner, Garoppolo went 12-for-18 for 149 yards and a touchdown when the Ravens brought pressure. He was three-for-three for 16 yards when Baltimore didn’t blitz. The offensive line, tight ends and running backs deserve some credit for their quarterback’s production. They did a nice job in blitz pickup and bought him enough time to unload some money throws in a close game.

It wasn’t all good though. Garoppolo was sacked twice on blitzes and his crucial incompletion on fourth-and-1 late in the fourth quarter came with extra pass rushers bearing down on him. Those were the only sacks of the game for Baltimore.

Chances are the Ravens’ blitz-heavy game plan came partly as a result of trying to stop the 49ers’ rushing attack. They ripped off 6.0 yards per carry on 29 attempts Sunday.

Garoppolo on Sunday was good for the most part and didn’t seem impacted by the rain. However, he did have a few throws that appeared to get away from him, and the 49ers’ 25 drop backs may have been influenced by the downpour.

The good news for Garoppolo is that the blitz-heavy scheme didn’t adversely impact him much. It would’ve been bad news if the book on Garoppolo was to simply throw blitzes at him. The fact he handled that pressure on the road in the biggest game of the year is a positive step toward getting the signal caller ready for postseason games.

Welcome to the Raheem Mostert show

Raheem Mostert should see more time after his huge showing Sunday.

Raheem Mostert might be the key to unlocking a 49ers run game that’s was relatively dormant the four weeks prior to Sunday’s loss in Baltimore. While the 49ers fell 20-17, Mostert shined on a dreary East Coast day that was muddied by steady rain throughout the contest.

Mostert ran it a career-high 19 times for a career-high 146 yards and a touchdown. It was his second-consecutive week with a score – the first time in his career he’s had touchdowns in back-to-back games. His 146 rushing yards were the most by a 49er since Carlos Hyde hung up 193 on the Jets in 2016 according to a release from the team.

[lawrence-related id=649897]

This may become a trend down the stretch for San Francisco. With Tevin Coleman struggling (49 carries for 122 yards) the last five games, and Matt Breida nursing an ankle injury that’s forced him to miss the last three, Mostert could see more action thanks to his health and relatively fresh legs.

Going into Sunday, Mostert had just 73 carries for the season. He’s up to 92 and he’s been remarkably efficient in those rushes. His 92 attempts have produced a team-best 5.9 yards per carry. He’s up to 6.3 yards per carry in 133 attempts with the 49ers.

With Breida set to return soon, it’s unlikely San Francisco turns to Mostert as a workhorse back. They also need him on special teams where he’s a tremendous asset in coverage.

[lawrence-related id=649926]

On the other hand, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him get more work going forward. He’s been terrific at getting to the edge and finding chunks of yards after turning the corner. He showed Sunday he’s capable of doing more than running outside. His touchdown run against the Packers came on an inside handoff as well.

The 49ers thrive offensively thanks to their ability to put a slew of high-quality playmakers on the field. They’re at their best when the run game is running at a high level. Mostert allows them to check both of those boxes, and he may be a much-needed late-season spark for the 49ers offense in the thick of the playoff race.

[vertical-gallery id=649958]