Sunday’s incident between wide receiver Deebo Samuel, long snapper Taybor Pepper and kicker Jake Moody clouded the 49ers’ hard-fought 23-20 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Samuel placing hands on Pepper and Moody raised eyebrows about the temperature of San Francisco’s locker room, as well as frustration surrounding the special teams unit -- especially after Moody missed three of his five field-goal attempts before sinking the 44-yard, game-winning buzzer-beater.
However, in the latest episode of “Hitner’s Hot Take,” NBC Sports Bay Area’s Donte Whitner explained why the dramatics should make the 49ers better from here on out.
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“This was the first time we’ve seen this kind of outburst during the Kyle Shanahan era,” Whitner said. “But I think this is going to bring the 49ers closer together. Remember, this is a championship team with championship aspirations. And Deebo Samuel and the star players of the 49ers are expecting everybody to uphold their end of the bargain.”
Whitner believes San Francisco, 5-4 after the emotional win, will have a tight-knit locker room for the final eight weeks of the 2024 NFL season, and it's hard to argue with him.
The 49ers probably would have been incident-free and off to an easier victory had Moody made his first five kicks -- but they weren’t. Moody, whom San Francisco selected No. 99 overall in the 2023 NFL Draft, just returned from the high right ankle sprain he suffered in the 49ers’ loss to the Arizona Cardinals on Oct. 6. The rookie was rusty, and it showed.
But winning heals all. After Moody’s walk-off, all of Samuel, Pepper and Moody appeared to be turning the page, even if presumed tension still exists. And with San Franciso now on a two-game win streak, Whitner is confident the 49ers -- mainly Moody -- will remain dialed in to end the season.
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“I have no problem with a player showing emotion on the sideline,” Whitner said. “When you have championship aspirations [and] when you’re expected to win these games, sometimes emotions can flare on the sideline.
“If anything, this propelled Jake Moody to kick the game-winning field goal with a laser-like focus, and it’ll get him ready for the second half of the season -- especially ready for a long playoff run.”
Samuel and the 49ers’ special teams unit likely will be under a microscope over the next few weeks. San Francisco should be fine if Moody makes his kicks and Samuel, who admitted he acted out of character, keeps his emotion between the sidelines.