The Niners are now 3-0 after the 36-30 win over the Arizona Cardinals. Kyle Shanahan and Co. orchestrated some brilliant plays that helped them bring the W, but there is one play that stands out quite a bit.
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“San Francisco wide receiver Deebo Samuel had a stat line never before seen in NFL history today: Zero catches, 80 receiving yards and a receiving touchdown,” Pro Football Talk’s Michael David Smith reported on September 27.
Shanahan’s hook-and-lateral play came when San Francisco was third and 12 in their own territory, during the Niners’ opening drive. With 8:41 left on the clock, quarterback Brock Purdy threw a short pass to wide receiver Mike Evans. Just as Evans was tackled by Cardinals safety Andrew Wingard, he lateraled the ball to Samuel, who took it all the way to the end zone.
That’s how he has the 80 yards to his name.
“It was crazy because we walked through that play once this week,” Samuel said after the game. “It was crazy, we called it kind of backed up, it was third-and-long. Once I saw Mike catch the ball and there were two guys on him, I was like, ‘If I can get around here, there ain’t going to be anybody.
“Budda [Baker] showed up, and I showed the speed people don’t think I got.”
The successful play was another gem on Shanahan’s crown, who is already well-known for his creative playcalling. But Mike Evans and Deebo Samuel did a fantastic job carrying out the strategy, setting the tone for the day early on.
The first-quarter play was the only time Deebo held the ball in passing play in Sunday’s game. However, that one drive set a record in the NFL; Samuel now sits atop the list of players who have receiving tards to their name on zero catches. He beat Eagles running back Timmy Brown’s 1961 record of 65 receiving yards with zero catches.
Samuel also recorded two rushes for 14 yards, and returned four kicks for 79 yards in the same game.
George Kittle led among pass-catchers with 82 yards against the Cardinals. Samuel’s 80-yard haul on the singular play put him right behind the tight end.
Samuel returned to San Francisco in 2026 after a year with the Washington Commanders. He had previously played six years for the Niners, all under head coach Kyle Shanahan’s tutelage. After the Cardinals game, it looks like the veteran WR is fitting right back at home.
Kittle, who helped orchestrate Samuel’s return to the Bay, praised his teammate for getting the play done. However, he also credited another teammate’s efforts, without whom Samuel wouldn’t have been successful.
George Kittle names “unsung hero” in wild Deebo Samuel play
Samuel was confident he would make the play if things worked out. But per Kittle, fellow tight end Luke Farrell was the one who made it all possible by blocking ahead of Samuel and opening a path down the sideline.
“Running that on that third-and-long, everybody’s going to expect us to throw the ball to Mike Evans, so that was cool,” Kittle said. “The unsung hero really is Luke Farrell. He got out there, blocked the corner, and gave Deebo the edge.
“Then Deebo just outran everybody. Deebo had an awesome stat line, didn’t he? He can do it all. Wide back, wherever it is, I love Deebo. He’s incredible.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan, however, wasn’t too ecstatic about the play.
“We’ve done that play a number of times,” he said after the game. “I don’t think it’s that big a trick play. Guys around the league do it a lot. It sounds real crazy but [it was] just the right time. We did it a couple times last year.”
What matters to Kyle Shanahan is the win, which, thanks to Samuel’s TD, the 49ers could get cracking at early. Fans will now expect more of these clutch plays in the upcoming weeks.