Wide receiver Deebo Samuel is out for the 49ers’ Monday Night Football matchup against the Minnesota Vikings, meaning the remaining receivers will have to play at US Bank Stadium.
Brandon Aiyuk will continue to be the focal point of San Francisco’s offense as he caught 25 of 37 targets for a team-high 454 yards and two touchdowns in five games. The fourth-year receiver will look to bounce back from a tough performance in the 49ers’ 19-17 loss to the Cleveland Browns, when he caught just four of 10 targets from quarterback Brock Purdy – his lowest catch percentage since Week 4 of the season .
However, the void left by Samuel’s absence may need to be filled by both Jauan Jennings and Ray-Ray McCloud.
McCloud is the team’s return specialist, having a league-high 15 punts and three kickoffs in six games. In his two seasons with the 49ers, the Clemson product was targeted just 30 times and recorded 18 receptions for 270 yards.
The element McCloud can bring is carrying the ball in jet sweeps, as he successfully demonstrated in the club’s loss to the Browns. Over the last two years, McCloud carried the ball six times for 101 yards and a touchdown. This additional element to a receiver’s arsenal can confuse defenses, as seen when Samuel is on the field.
Jennings is regularly involved in the offense, but in five games this season, the receiver has been targeted just 12 times, recording seven catches for 127 yards.
Also known as “third-and-jauan” for the 49ers Faithful, the receiver caught 35 of 56 targets for 416 yards and a touchdown in 2022 – and 23 of those receptions were for first downs. This season, Jennings has been on the field for 41 percent of the club’s offensive plays, compared to his 47 percent share of game action in 2022.
A wild card in the 49ers’ offensive plan for Monday night could be rookie receiver Ronnie Bell, who played all six games but was on the field for just 89 offensive snaps (23 percent) and 48 special teams plays (30 percent). .
Bell has caught three of his four targets for 31 yards and a touchdown, but hasn’t caught it since the club’s Week 4 win over the Arizona Cardinals. The Michigan product could play a bigger role Monday night.
49ers coach Kyle Shanahan has plenty of options to make up for Samuel’s absence on the field, but the club will miss having a player on the field who can confuse an opposing defense by disguising what he is doing with the ball in his hands will do.
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