The San Francisco 49ers are one game away from the Super Bowl, and they will be up against a tough Green Bay Packers team. They will need the offense to pull their weight against a vicious Packers defense, and Deebo Samuel will be one of the players who need to perform exceptionally well.
The rookie wide receiver has become a key cog in the Niners offense after an outstanding debut campaign. Kyle Shanahan will undoubtedly rely on his outstanding catching if they are going to triumph over the Packers and make the Super Bowl for the first time since 2012.
The Packers should be somewhat aware of Samuel's ability to catch the football as they faced each other in Week 12. Deebo finished with two receptions that went for 50 yards and a touchdown to his name. He's one of the reasons why the team was more than able to complete the 37-8 victory in the regular season.
However, the conference championship is an entirely different animal. What worked during the regular season will not likely have the same level of effectiveness during the postseason. The Packers defense will do everything in order to make life uncomfortable for the offense.
The defense will clamp down on Jimmy Garoppolo and George Kittle on the passing game. The two are what effectively makes the entire San Francisco passing game work, so stopping them from making the connection will make it tough for the 49ers to score. While the Niners arguably have the best defense in the league, the last thing they'll want to do is for the offense to not keep up and fail to score.
This is the reason why the second-round selection from South Carolina needs to step up big in this game. While Samuel showed up in their regular-season contest, they haven't played him enough times to know his knacks and tendencies. He must make the most of the scouting report the Packers have on him and blind side them with a performance similar to the Niners' victory over the Minnesota Vikings.
Samuel should have the ability to succeed, and his numbers this season support this belief. He has notched 802 receiving yards this season, the second-highest among receivers in this game. While he's not a touchdown threat, his presence is hard to deny with a 70% catch rate.
The Niners will be in for a tough contest against the Packers, but Samuel should be able to help. His performance this season has been nothing short of superb, and it's natural to expect more of the same from him.
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