SEATTLE -- Backed up near their goal line in the first quarter, the San Francisco 49ers turned things over to rookie receiver Deebo Samuel to not only get them out of trouble but extend their lead against the Seattle Seahawks.
After a 30-yard catch-and-run on second-and-7 from the San Francisco's 19, the Niners had second-and-4 at Seattle's 30 with 24 seconds left in the opening quarter. Samuel lined up tight to the formation on the right side and orbited back behind quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, who faked a handoff to running back Raheem Mostert.
With fullback Kyle Juszczyk out in front, Samuel took it from Garoppolo and raced around the left edge with more blockers in front. Samuel cut back inside and executed a nice spin move to evade the final defenders as he danced into the end zone for a 30-yard touchdown run. A lengthy review showed no conclusive evidence that Samuel had stepped out of bounds and the touchdown stood.
We'll say it again.
— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) December 30, 2019
30 yards for @19problemz and the TOUCHDOWN! 🙌#GoNiners pic.twitter.com/BsocTptB8g
Samuel's touchdown was his third on the ground this season, the most rushing scores by a receiver since Kansas City's Tyreek Hill in 2016. It gave the 49ers a 10-0 lead against Seattle with 24 seconds left in the first quarter.