Deebo Samuel-less 49ers team can still dominate Lions in NFC Championship Game, NFL analyst says

The San Francisco 49ers did not see Deebo Samuel practice on Wednesday, as uncertainty continues to surround one of the team’s top weapons on offense leading up to the NFC Championship Game against the Detroit Lions. 

The 49ers have struggled when Samuel is not on the field, including last week’s come-from-behind win over the Green Bay Packers after he suffered a left shoulder injury in the first quarter. However, NFL Network’s Cynthia Frelund thinks the 49ers’ offense is built so second-year quarterback Brock Purdy does not have to put all the weight on his shoulder if Samuel were not to play on Sunday. 

Head coach Kyle Shanahan and his offensive scheme can be thanked for that. 

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Cynthia Frelund attends the 2023 Women of Inspiration Los Angeles at SoFi Stadium on Nov. 28, 2023 in Inglewood, California. (Monica Schipper/Getty Images)

"The ability for Kyle Shanahan to scheme his players open is absolutely incredible," she said on OutKick’s "Hot Mic" Wednesday. "It’s a lot easier for Brock Purdy to be efficient when no one’s more than three yards near someone right? I can be more efficient if my radius is a lot better. When you’re looking at that, I think Brock Purdy is as efficient as the space he has.

"It’s not to say he’s not great and whatever. I’m not a hater. I’m just saying that if a lot of quarterbacks, if they had those weapons in that scheme, they would look pretty efficient, too, and he’s executing it so that’s great."

It is true Purdy and the 49ers’ offense have struggled without Samuel this year, as their least productive offensive games came in the two weeks he could not play during the regular season. 

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However, Frelund, a Detroit fan, knows the Lions’ defense is one Shanahan can scheme against. 

"The Lions’ defense, they’ve given up the most 16-plus-[yard] receptions in the regular season – over 100. No other team has over 100, and [Lions cornerback] Cam Sutton 1-on-1, I absolutely know Kyle Shanahan’s like, ‘Hey, [wide receiver] Brandon [Aiyuk], you’re going to line up against that guy Cam, and you’re going to come down with the ball.’ That’s how it’s going to work. 

"And the Lions last week, you saw where they were vulnerable. They defended deep, but they had the most intermediate, so 10-to-19-yard passes; that was their worst game with intermediate passes. Ok, so George Kittle then. Pick your poison. It’s going to be bad even without Deebo Samuel. The Lions’ ability to limit those big plays, or at least limit points scored off big plays, is going to be massive."

Brock Purdy, #13 of the San Francisco 49ers, looks to pass as he warms up prior to an NFL divisional round playoff football game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Green Bay Packers at Levi's Stadium on Jan. 20, 2024 in Santa Clara, California. (Michael Owens/Getty Images)

However, why is Samuel someone that means so much to a 49ers team that has stars like Aiyuk, Kittle, and of course, running back Christian McCaffrey on offense? 

"Deebo’s off-ball metrics, meaning when he’s not the subject of the pass, make him probably even more valuable than Brandon Aiyuk," Frelund explained. "This is like, ‘Oh, we’re debating 1-A and 1-B.’ It’s not like a big drop-off. What Deebo’s able to do is take up a different space and run routes in a way that make defenders miss. It draws safeties. He’s a tricky trickster. He figures out ways to draw safeties in so that they can hit Brandon Aiyuk 1-on-1 with man coverage. Play quarters? See ya. He can diagnose all of the coverages and be like, ‘Here’s where the hole in the zone is going to be,’ or, ‘Here’s where their man is weakest. I’ll just go right there.’

"It’s like he understands the assignment almost better than anyone, and he helps make the other guys look so freaking good, too."

There is still time for Samuel to get right before Sunday’s kickoff to determine who will be representing the NFC in Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas. 

Either way, Frelund knows her Lions will be in for a rough test against a Shanahan-built offense that has seen big play after big play all season long. 

Deebo Samuel, #19 of the San Francisco 49ers, looks on prior to a game against the Baltimore Ravens at Levi's Stadium on Dec. 25, 2023 in Santa Clara, California. (Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)

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The Lions have an explosive offense as well, but the 49ers’ defense has been able to make big stops throughout the year. It will be a tough task for Detroit to do so on the road.