SANTA CLARA — Coach Kyle Shanahan tried his best to stop the play on which 49ers All-Pro wide receiver Deebo Samuel injured his left ankle Sunday, he said.
Just moments before the snap of the ball, Shanahan tried to get line judge Dan Gallagher's attention to call a timeout in the second quarter.
“I was upset because I called a timeout before the play,” Shanahan said on a conference call with Bay Area reporters Monday. “I was upset that the play got ran. But I wasn’t close enough to the ref, so he heard me yell it, but he couldn’t confirm it was me.”
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SIGN UP HERE The play carried on, and Samuel lined up in the backfield. He took an inside handoff from quarterback Brock Purdy on a play designed for the left side, but Tampa Bay Buccaneers outside linebacker Carl Nassib set the edge against left tackle Trent Williams, forcing Samuel to cut back inside.
As he was tackled at the end of a 3-yard gain, Samuel’s left leg was pinned under Tampa Bay defensive lineman Rakeem Nunez-Roches. The Bucs recovered Samuel’s fumble.
RELATED: 49ers anxiously awaiting Deebo, Purdy injury updates
Afterward, Shanahan appeared to be heated while talking with Gallagher.
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“Obviously, what happened on the play made [me] a lot more sensitive about it,” Shanahan said. “But I was too far away from him and he couldn’t confirm that it was me, and it was a last-second thing. So, I’m not holding a grudge or anything, but it was just unfortunate.”