Have the 49ers Got Their Swagger Back?

“Honestly, it felt pretty similar to the Super Bowl year,” quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo said last week. “It felt like we ran the ball 30 times every time that year. When we can do that and be successful on third down, that’s a good recipe for us.”

On Sunday, the 49ers added yet another wrinkle to their offense. Wide receiver Deebo Samuel was San Francisco’s leading rusher on the day, posting eight carries for 79 yards (9.9 yards per carry) and a rushing touchdown. Samuel wasn’t just the 49ers lead rusher, in fact, the wide out garnered more rushing yards than the entire Jacksonville team rushed combined. Teams already have to account for the wideout in the passing game as he currently sits second in the NFL in receiving yards, but Samuel continues to be one of San Francisco’s most versatile and impactful offensive players in his third year with the 49ers regardless of where he lines up

“When he runs the ball that well, it’s pretty impressive to have,” Kyle Shanahan said. “I think he had almost 10 yards a carry and eight runs… usually when a receiver has done that, it’s because they have one 70-yarder, and Deebo is extremely efficient. He got everything and more on those looks.”

While Samuel was leading on the ground, the re-emergence of Brandon Aiyuk led San Francisco through the air. Aiyuk caught all seven of his targets for a season-high 85 yards and a touchdown. Following a slow start to the season and a trip to Shanahan’s proverbial “doghouse,” Aiyuk was responsible for just 16 targets, nine receptions, 96 yards and a touchdown through the 49ers first six games of the season. Since, he’s amassed 26 targets, 20 catches, 245 yards and two touchdowns over the 49ers last four contests. His spike in production has both taken the load off of Samuel and assisted Garoppolo in his recent ascension.

Garoppolo has been playing efficient football as of late and with Aiyuk’s recent string of performances, has garnered a 145.6 passer rating when targeting the wideout over the last three games.

But it’s not just Aiyuk helping the quarterback excel. Over the last four weeks, Garoppolo is averaging just under a 73 percent completion percentage while throwing six total touchdowns to just one interception and averaging 8.44 yards per attempt. Per Pro Football Focus, Garoppolo has garnered an 85.7 overall grade over the last four weeks, which is the highest of any starting quarterback in the NFL during that span.