Getty Deebo Samuel of the San Francisco 49ers.
As the San Francisco 49ers prepare to face off against the Miami Dolphins in a game that has been seriously hyped up by fans, pundits, and players alike, all eyes will be on number 19 in red, white, and gold before the opening kickoff to see if he’s up or down for the marquee matchup. Taking to Twitter in the wee hours of the morning as he so often does on gamedays to provide an early morning update on what he’s hearing from around the league, Adam Schefter of ESPN delivered an interesting report that fully clarifies Samuel’s status heading into the game.
“49ers WR Deebo Samuel, listed as questionable for Sunday due to a deep thigh bruise, plans to play vs. Miami, per source,” Schefter tweeted. “The 49ers didn’t think Samuel would be able to play until Friday, but he has made big improvements and, barring a pre-game setback, he plans to go today.”
After being listed as limited on Wednesday with a quad injury, Samuel was held out of practice on Thursday before being limited on Friday once more. Assuming Samuel doesn’t suffer the sort of pre-game setback that Schefter mention in his report, the 49ers should be able to attack Josh Boyer’s defense at near-full strength.
Kyle Shanahan Was Worried About Deebo Samuel On Friday
Speaking to reporters ahead of the game on Friday, Shanahan was asked about Samuel’s practice status throughout the week and whether or not he’d be able to play on Sunday, as transcribed by 49ers Webzone.
“Any time you don’t practice, it’s a worry,” Shanahan shared. “We’re not just giving him [time] off to give him [time] off. He’s trying to get healthy. He’s working as hard as he can. His thigh has been bothering him. It hasn’t loosened up the way we want it to, but hopefully, it will be better today, and he’ll be good to go for Sunday.”
Asked to follow up on whether or not Samuel would be a game-time decision, Shanahan concluded that because of the nature of the injury, practice is key.
“So far, it is,” Shanahan answered. “He’s got to do something today for it to be a chance to be a game-time decision.”
Considering Samuel did practice on Friday, but in a limited manner, the 49ers got really lucky heading into Week 13, as they almost went from starting an All-Pro to Jauan Jennings, the team’s usual WR3, in his place.
The San Francisco 49ers Caught A Break On Miami’s Injury Report
While the 49ers’ injury report featured plenty of good news, with both Williams and Samuel able to go, the Dolphins won’t be heading into the game at full strength, as starting right tackle Austin Jackson is out with an ankle injury and left tackle Terron Armstead, the team’s big-money offseason free agent addition, is doubtful to play with a toe and pec injury, once again per Rapoport.
If neither tackle is able to play, the Dolphins are expected to turn to Greg Little at right tackle and Brandon Shell at left tackle, who have combined to start 77 games and have surrendered 29 sacks over 4,949 career snaps, according to Pro Football Focus. Considering just how many fits Nick Bosa and Samson Ebukam cause opposing offensive lines when they are at full strength, facing off against the Dolphins’ backups with Arik Armstead back to boot should lay the groundwork for a big-time opportunity against Miami.