Can the 49ers Defeat the Lions Without Deebo Samuel?

The 49ers might not be at full strength when they host the Lions in the NFC championship.

Deebo Samuel is reportedly a toss up to be active for that game after he suffered a shoulder injury in the divisional round against the Packers. Samuel sustained the injury in the first quarter and wouldn't be able to finish the game. The worst seemed to be the case as the last time Samuel exited a game due to a shoulder injury was in Week 6 against the Browns. He would miss the following three games.

While it is a relief that he didn't sustain anything severe, it is still a bummer that he could be out of the NFC title game. Without Samuel against the Packers, the 49ers felt immediately how much of a loss he was. He is an irreplaceable player, which is why the 49ers suffered defeats in all three games that Samuel was inactive for. It makes you think if that will be the case in the NFC championship game.

So, can the 49ers defeat the Lions without Samuel?

Surprisingly, yes. It is easier to operate the offense without Samuel when the 49ers are already aware of his absence. Against the Packers, it was clear that a large chunk of the game plan was to feature him. That is why Kyle Shanahan called that hand-off play to Jauan Jennings. A play that is mainly for Samuel, so Shanahan tried to plug and play Jennings there. With Samuel out, the 49ers had to go completely off script and figure something out. That didn't go so well for them.

Besides, Samuel's absence wasn't the only reason the 49ers' offense was mediocre. Brock Purdy struggled heavily in that game and couldn't complete basic passes. The rain is likely the cause for that, and as of now the rain doesn't look to be forecasted for the NFC championship. If Purdy is better, then the offense will have a much smoother go of it. The 49ers should be in a significantly stronger spot to operate on offense with success without Samuel this time around should he not be available.