Thrives without Aiyuk in win

Samuel brought in six of 12 targets for 129 yards and a touchdown and rushed once for two yards in the 49ers' 30-12 win over the Giants on Thursday night.

With fellow wideout Brandon Aiyuk (shoulder) sidelined, Samuel took full advantage and paced the 49ers in receiving yards and targets on the night. The versatile fifth-year pro has upped his receiving yardage total over that of the prior game in each of the last two contests, and he recorded his first receiving touchdown of the campaign via a 27-yard scoring grab with 5:58 remaining that sealed the win for San Francisco. Samuel struggled with injury last season, but his 17-247-1 line through the air and 8-48-1 tally on the ground through three games offer a reminder of what he's capable of when his health is clicking on all cylinders. Samuel next takes aim at the Cardinals in a Week 4 home matchup a week from Sunday.