Deebo Samuel played 76 percent of the snaps and was not targeted once
His share of the offense has gone from 42 to 60 to 76 percent in three games. Demarcus Robinson is on injured reserve, Mike Evans is day to day with a rib injury, and San Francisco has five receivers on the 53 for Denver.
San Francisco has five wide receivers on its 53-man roster going into Sunday's game against Denver: Mike Evans, Deebo Samuel Sr., KhaDarel Hodge, Jacob Cowing and Jordan Watkins. On September 16, when Kyle Shanahan said the club did not need to add a receiver, the room he meant had six. Demarcus Robinson went on injured reserve on Saturday with the high-ankle sprain from Week 2.
Samuel is carrying more of it every week. His offensive snaps, off the three game books: 27 of 65 in Melbourne, 31 of 52 against Miami, 41 of 54 against Arizona. That is 42, 60 and 76 percent. His 41 on Sunday led the receivers by 11. He was not targeted. His 80 receiving yards all came on the lateral from Evans that the book scores as an 82-yard pass play, and he returned four kickoffs for 79 yards on top of it.
Evans is the open question. He left Sunday's 36-30 win over Arizona with 1:45 left in the second quarter, after a hit to the chest on a catch over the middle, and rode a cart to the locker room, per ESPN. He did not return. Before that he played 18 of 54 offensive snaps and caught three of six targets for 34 yards and a 23-yard touchdown, per the official game book. On Monday Shanahan called it "a rib issue" that "shouldn't be long term" and said Evans would be evaluated through the week, per Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area and David Bonilla of 49ers Webzone. Wednesday's injury report is the first official word on whether he practices. NFL Network's Ian Rapoport has since reported him as day to day. The club has announced nothing further.
Hodge played 30 snaps and was thrown to once, on a play that did not count. Brock Purdy's third-down incompletion to him at the Arizona 11 in the fourth quarter was wiped out by a roughing-the-passer penalty on Josh Sweat, so the book credits Hodge with no targets. His snap counts by game: 1, 20, 30. He also made the tackle on two Arizona kickoff returns.
Cowing: 46 offensive snaps, two targets, no catches. He played 5 in Week 1, 24 in Week 2 and 17 on Sunday. Both passes thrown his way came against Arizona and fell incomplete. He returned one punt for 7 yards.
Watkins finally dressed. Inactive for the first two games, he played 15 snaps against Arizona and caught both passes thrown to him for 60 yards. The second, a 34-yarder with 17 seconds left in the half, set up Eddy Piñeiro's 57-yard field goal as time expired.
Cooks is the receiver in the building. Brandin Cooks signed to the practice squad on September 23, per the club's release and the league's transaction wire. He was not elevated for Arizona. The club's two standard elevations that week went to defensive linemen, Kevin Givens and Sebastian Valdez. The practice squad's other receivers are Wesley Grimes and Will Pauling. The club has made no receiver move since Robinson's placement.
The injured receivers are not close. Christian Kirk has been on injured reserve with a calf injury since August 30 and must miss the first four games, so Week 5 at Seattle on October 11 is the earliest he can play. Robinson, placed on Saturday, has to sit at least four games. De'Zhaun Stribling had ankle surgery and was given close to ten weeks on September 16. Ricky Pearsall is also on injured reserve.
The count for Sunday, by Monday's word. If Evans plays, San Francisco has five receivers on the 53. If he does not, it has four: Samuel, Hodge, Cowing and Watkins. Watkins was inactive in two of the three games, and Cowing has not caught a pass this season. The club can elevate Cooks without making a roster move.
Sources: the official NFL game books for Weeks 1, 2 and 3 (offensive snaps, receiving lines, play-by-play); the 49ers' roster page, transaction log and newsroom, September 29; the league transaction wire, September 23; Matt Maiocco, NBC Sports Bay Area, and David Bonilla, 49ers Webzone, September 28 (Shanahan's Monday call); NBC Sports, August 30 (Kirk to injured reserve); Shanahan's September 16 availability (Stribling); ESPN, September 27 (how Evans left); Ian Rapoport, NFL Network (day to day).
