Monday, September 28, 2026 300 stories · 2676 outlet reports compared

49ers beat Cardinals as Deebo Samuel scores on trick-play lateral touchdown

The San Francisco 49ers defeated the Arizona Cardinals after Deebo Samuel scored on an 80-yard touchdown via a hook-and-ladder play, receiving a lateral from Mike Evans.

By The Lumen desk · Sept 28, 2026 · 1 min read
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What we know
1 The 49ers beat the Cardinals in a Week 3 matchup, according to Fox News.
2 Mike Evans lateraled the ball to Deebo Samuel after catching a pass from Brock Purdy, resulting in a touchdown.
3 Most sources reported the touchdown play covered 80 yards; CBS Sports reported it as 82 yards.
4 Deebo Samuel recorded zero catches, 80 receiving yards and a touchdown on the play, a stat line Yahoo Sports said was unprecedented in NFL history.
5 According to the New York Post, the win was the 49ers' third straight, achieved amid a growing injury report.

The San Francisco 49ers defeated the Arizona Cardinals, with the scoring opened by a trick play in which quarterback Brock Purdy threw to Mike Evans, who then lateraled the ball to Deebo Samuel for an 80-yard touchdown, according to Fox Sports and the New York Post.

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The play resulted in an unusual statistical outcome: Samuel finished with zero catches but 80 receiving yards and a touchdown, a stat line described by Yahoo Sports as never before recorded in NFL history, according to Yahoo Sports.

CBS Sports described the play as a hook-and-ladder executed by Samuel and Evans that covered 82 yards, a figure that differs slightly from the 80-yard distance reported by Fox News, Fox Sports and Yahoo Sports.

The New York Post reported that the 49ers held on to win the game, extending their record to three consecutive wins, while also noting a growing injury report for the team, according to the New York Post.

How each side covered it

Center

2 outlets
  • Yahoo Sports highlighted Samuel's unprecedented stat line of zero catches, 80 yards and a touchdown.
  • CBS Sports described the play as a hook-and-ladder covering 82 yards and credited both Samuel and Evans.

“Deebo Samuel makes NFL history with 0 catches for 80 receiving yards and 1 TD” — Yahoo Sports

Right

3 outlets
  • The New York Post reported the 49ers won their third straight game despite a growing injury report.
  • Fox News and Fox Sports both detailed the lateral from Evans to Samuel that resulted in an 80-yard touchdown.
  • The New York Post suggested the win might prove costly for San Francisco.

“49ers hang on to beat Cardinals, but win may prove to be too costly” — New York Post

Questions readers ask

What happened in the 49ers-Cardinals game?

The San Francisco 49ers defeated the Arizona Cardinals, opening the scoring with a trick play in which Brock Purdy threw to Mike Evans, who lateraled to Deebo Samuel for a touchdown covering either 80 or 82 yards depending on the source.

Why was Deebo Samuel's stat line notable?

According to Yahoo Sports, Samuel finished the play with zero catches, 80 receiving yards and a touchdown, a combination Yahoo Sports said had never before occurred in NFL history.

How many yards did the touchdown play cover?

Fox News, Fox Sports and Yahoo Sports reported the touchdown covered 80 yards, while CBS Sports reported it as 82 yards.

Did the 49ers face any other issues during the game?

According to the New York Post, the 49ers won despite a growing injury report, and the outlet suggested the win could prove costly.

What was the 49ers' record after this win?

According to the New York Post, the win extended the 49ers' record to three consecutive victories.

Sources · 5 outlet reports

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