NFC Notes: Deebo Samuel, Drew Lock, Geno Smith, 49ers, Cardinals, Seahawks

49ers

49ers HC Kyle Shanahan says that WR Deebo Samuel is having some of the best performances of his career right now and is at the top of his game.

“It’s been very good,” Shanahan said, via Pro Football Talk. “We’re not done yet, so there’s a lot more football to play, so we’ll see at the end of the year. But I thought Deebo came into this season very ready to go. I thought he was looking really good those first couple weeks. He didn’t have all the stats to show it, but that was just the way the ball went, but he was really ready to go. Then he had a huge setback with his injuries which took him a while to get back from him and when he did, it still took some time to get back in the football shape. But starting a few weeks ago you could see it and I think he’s at the top of his game right now.”

Cardinals

• Cardinals HC Jonathan Gannon said that rookie WR Michael Wilson has been improving and will play this week in some capacity. (Howard Balzer)

Seahawks

Seahawks HC Pete Carroll called the team’s performance inexcusable and said they gave the game away to San Francisco.

“We gave it to them. Kittle in short yardage, in a play-action pass, their heavy personnel. He’s been doing that for his whole career,” Carroll said, via PFT. “There was nothing new about those things. We didn’t execute well enough to stop those opportunities. That’s the stuff we practiced, and we needed to come through and make those plays. We didn’t do it.”

Carroll doubled down, mentioning both DBs Jamal Adams and Julian Love by name.

“I don’t mind mentioning these guys,” Carroll said. “They know.”

• Carroll expects rookie DB Devon Witherspoon to return on Monday against vs. the Eagles. (Brady Henderson)
• Carroll says the team is taking it day by day with QB Geno Smith and was unsure if QB Drew Lock would take first-team reps in practice. (Michael-Shawn Dugar)