Somewhere in the bowels of NRG, newly appointed Offensive Coordinator Bobby Slowik leafs through his playbook with deep consternation. As the architect behind the San Francisco 49ers passing game, Slowik’s offense was defined by misdirection, speed, and big play ability. One player encompassed all three attributes for the 49ers, Deebo Samuel.
According to Next Gen Stats, Deebo Samuel has led the league in yards after catch per reception (YAC/R) for three consecutive seasons. Two of those seasons, he also had the league’s least amount of “air yards”, aka how far down the field he was when he caught the ball.