CHARLOTTE — Deebo Samuel lined up within the left slot, left his defender within the mud, reduce throughout the tip zone, and, voila, snagged Jimmy Garoppolo’s 4-yard cross for a third-and-goal landing.
This was the offensive reply the 49ers desperately wanted Sunday, for a number of causes, en path to a 37-15 victory.
“I used to be not essentially the No. 1 learn, however I crossed the security’s face, I popped in Jimmy’s imaginative and prescient, and he threw a dart,” Samuel mentioned.
Earlier than Samuel scored, the 49ers led simply 17-9, and that was trigger for acquainted issues.
You see, the Panthers had simply pulled inside one rating due to Christian McCaffrey 19-yard, fourth-down run. That was an disagreeable reminder to the 49ers that they’d blown second-half leads on this season’s earlier two highway video games at Chicago and Denver, to not point out final season’s NFC Championship Recreation defeat on the Los Angeles Rams.
“It’s big to reply. That was huge time,” coach Kyle Shanahan mentioned.
Including to the stress earlier than Samuel scored was this disheartening information: defensive finish Nick Bosa was out the second half due to a groin harm. That alone might dampen the win, however different harm exits have been made by kicker Robbie Gould (knee), defensive again Jimmie Ward (hand) and, with 4:12 remaining, cornerback Emmanuel Moseley, who sustained a likely-season ending anterior cruciate ligament tear.
Amid all that carnage, the 49ers wanted Samuel, their All-Professional catalyst, to spark an offense that had produced just one landing in 20 second-half drives previous to Sunday.
The Deebo Drive ensued.
“That complete drive, it was (10) performs, however to cap it off third-and-goal like that with Deebo arising with an important catch, guys have been making performs at the moment, particularly on third down,” Garoppolo mentioned.
Not a lot else got here from Samuel, who broke out when wanted most. He, general, had two receptions on 9 targets, and two carries for 12 yards.
Having grown up 80 miles east in Inman, S.C., Samuel definitely led that key drive towards the north finish zone. It began along with his first catch of the day (16 yards), adopted by a 3-yard run, and saved alive by a pass-interference penalty he drew towards a Carolina cornerback on fourth-and-3. Jauan Jennings’ 32-yard, catch-and-run acquired the 49ers to the 3-yard line.
On third-and-goal from the 4, Samuel scored his second landing in as many video games. It was not as theatrical as his 57-yarder in final Monday night time’s win over the Rams. It was important, although, to cease Sunday’s bleeding.
The 49ers (3-2) now head into the West Virginia mountains to follow at The Greenbrier Resort for a 3rd straight season. Then, subsequent Sunday, they’ll go to one other NFC South group, the Atlanta Falcons (2-3).
Bosa, shut down at halftime with a good groin, won't be the one 49er lacking from that subsequent outing. Gould sustained a left-knee harm making a midfield sort out on the kickoff after Samuel’s landing, and Ward’s season debut lasted just one play earlier than he left with a fractured left hand.
Essentially the most severe harm is outwardly Moseley’s, and it dampened a win that included a first-half interception return for his first profession landing. He acquired damage defending a deep cross with about 4 minutes to go. That his potential ACL tear got here on synthetic grass had teammates like George Kittle fuming and recalling different ACL tears in wins on synthetic tear earlier than Greenbrier layovers, similar to to Bosa and Solomon Thomas in 2020 on the New York Jets, and Jason Verrett final yr at Detroit.
The 49ers protection already was enjoying with out defensive tackles Arik Armstead (toes) and Javon Kinlaw (knee) — and their offense is with out left sort out Trent Williams — however shedding Bosa for any period of time will sting essentially the most.
Nonetheless on that 49ers’ defensive entrance, nonetheless, are cross rushers Samson Ebukam, Kemoko Turay and rookie Drake Jackson, whose fourth-down sack ended Baker Mayfield’s night time and arrange Tevin Coleman’s 5-yard landing run within the closing minutes.
The 49ers’ opponents averaged a league-low 11.5 factors by way of 4 video games, and though the Panthers surpassed that mark, they repeatedly needed to accept field-goal makes an attempt. In the meantime, the 49ers piled up their most touchdowns in a recreation since final season’s opener at Detroit (which additionally preceded a Greenbrier layover).
The 49ers’ vaunted protection did crack on its opening collection after halftime. That’s when McCaffrey had his fourth-and-1, 19-yard landing run. It reduce the 49ers’ result in 17-9, and McCaffrey acquired stopped on an ensuing two-point conversion attempt. Bosa was on the sideline, nonetheless in full uniform, whereas that drive unfolded with out him.
If Samuel’s landing wasn’t the 49ers’ most essential, maybe it was Jeff Wilson Jr.’s 1-yard plunge early within the fourth quarter for a 30-12 margin.
Additionally entering into the scoring act, for the primary time in his five-year profession, was cornerback Emmanuel Moseley. He delivered a 41-yard interception return for a landing, 55 seconds earlier than halftime. That cued CBS’ broadcast to notice that the Panthers had misplaced 24 in a row when yielding no less than 17 factors.
Garoppolo directed a landing drive on the sport’s first collection, nonetheless. Tevin Coleman’s 9-yard, catch-and-run put the 49ers forward 7-0 and capped a 75-yard march that was sparked by Wilson’s 41-yard run to the 9; Wilson had his first 100-yard recreation this season.
Ward, beginning as a hybrid linebacker, injured his left hand after reducing into the backfield to attempt stopping a McCaffrey 9-yard run. Ward, a pregame captain, missed the primary 4 video games with a hamstring harm, and though he's eligible to have a second stint on short-term Injured Reserve, the 49ers get solely eight such designations in a season.
Kittle, on his twenty ninth birthday, had 4 catches on the primary two drives, however he gave the Panthers a present by fumbling away the 49ers’ second possession. Panthers kicker Eddie Pineiro missed a subject purpose on their ensuing possession; he made his subsequent three makes an attempt.
Gould made a 49-yard subject purpose for a 10-0, second-quarter lead, then had a subject purpose blocked for the second time this season. He took arduous hits to his shoulder making midfield tackles
When Pineiro got here on for a 34-yard subject purpose with 6:51, a refrain of boos filtered out from the sparse Panthers followers who remained in a half-filled stadium that was awash with a slew of 49ers followers in purple, highway jerseys.
As soon as the carnage was completed, Brock Purdy ended this affair by taking his first NFL snap, in a kneel-down, victory formation.
