Most members of the San Francisco 49ers’ offense struggled during their Week 15 loss to the Los Angeles Rams but few were criticized more than Deebo Samuel. The struggling wide receiver’s brutal dropped pass in the third quarter was one of the biggest moments many pointed to at the end of the 49ers’ 12-6 defeat.
Samuel discussed the drop after the game, admitting that he felt the play was the difference between victory and defeat. The dropped pass would have set San Francisco up for a first down in the red zone in a game that ended without a single touchdown from either team.
“Very frustrating,” Samuel said, via KNBR. “End of the day, if I catch that ball, there’s nothing there but the end zone. I just gotta catch that rock… I feel like if I make that play we win the game.”
“Real, very, very frustrating… I feel like I make that play, I think we win the game.”
Deebo Samuel on his crucial drop in the third quarter that could have resulted in a Niners touchdown. pic.twitter.com/QkVjWJJlbu
— KNBR (@KNBR) December 13, 2024
Ironically, the blunder came just days after Samuel infamously tweeted out that he is “not struggling,” only for the community notes feature on X, formerly Twitter, to point out his drop issues in 2024. The 28-year-old ended the game with three catches on seven targets for just 16 yards. He added a mere three rushing yards on two carries.
In his sixth season, Samuel is putting up some of the worst numbers of his otherwise impressive career. Despite injuries to Christian McCaffrey and Brandon Aiyuk, he has just 569 receiving yards through 15 weeks with just two total touchdowns on the year. He is on track to post his worst single-season receiving yardage total since 2020.
With their crushing defeat to the Rams in Week 15, the 49ers’ playoff hopes are now on life support. Just 10 months after losing to the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVIII, the reigning runner-ups are now on track to miss the postseason and finish 2024 with a losing record.
The 49ers now have just a one percent chance of making the playoffs with a 6-8 record through Week 15, per NFL. Conversely, the Rams’ odds increased to 50 percent with them now being only a half-game behind the Seattle Seahawks for the NFC West lead.
With the loss, San Francisco has now fallen to the bottom of the NFC West. The team has more internal issues than just Deebo Samuel’s drop concerns after linebacker De’Vondre Campbell notably checked himself out of Week 15 for reportedly not wanting to play anymore.
