SANTA CLARA — Deebo Samuel returned to practice in preparation for the 49ers' matchup with the Jacksonville Jaguars and shared how practice has been different after the bye week.
“For real, on Monday it felt like the first day of camp,” Samuel said on Thursday. “Everybody was fresh, flying around fast. Yesterday we had a great practice, and we are just feeding off of what we did on Monday.”
Kyle Shanahan and a few players shared that after the team's loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, the game film looked low-energy and sluggish. That is not the case with the roster feeling rested after a week away from the facility.
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Samuel has missed the last two contests due to a hairline fracture in his shoulder, and he can't wait to get back on the field this week.
“Any time, not being part of the game is hard but I’ve been there before,” Samuel said. “It’s a mental thing just getting back and getting ready to play. Just taking it day by day, getting ready for the game on Sunday.”
The offense is happy to have Samuel and potentially Trent Williams back on the field for San Francisco's Week 10 contest. The All-Pro left tackle has also missed the past two contests with an ankle injury but returned to practice on Thursday.
Samuel believes that the plan to get past their three-game skid is simple — take care of the ball and execute the game plan.
San Francisco 49ers
“We just got to get back to doing what we do best and that’s playing good ball, getting takeaways and staying on the field longer,” Samuel said.
The 49ers clearly feel a sense of urgency to get back on track in order to keep their postseason hopes alive. Samuel added that it is a very familiar feeling for the team that has faced similar adversity before.
“Our backs have been against the wall for the past two years,” Samuel said. “We made the best out of that opportunity. Overall we just want to get back to winning and whatever it takes to get there.”
“Getting there” will mean a win over a very talented Jacksonville team that is on the rise with a 6-2 record and a five-game win streak.