Brandon Aiyuk put together the best game of his 2022 season in the 49ers’ 37-34 overtime win over the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday at Allegiant Stadium.
The 24-year-old recorded season highs in receptions (nine) and yards (101) while adding one touchdown for San Francisco. Furthermore, the 49ers’ star receiver took some of the passing-game responsibility off tight end George Kittle’s shoulders, with Deebo Samuel still out for a third consecutive week with ankle and knee injuries.
Las Vegas’ defense limited Kittle to four receptions for 23 yards and one touchdown, so Aiyuk rose to the occasion when San Francisco's offense needed him the most.
“Beast mode,” 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey told reporters after the win. “He went full beast mode on that last drive. And that’s who he is. He’s a beast. And the things that he does are special, and especially in crunch time. For him to have a game like that and, you know, put our team on his back was awesome because we needed him, and he showed up."
McCaffrey wasn’t alone in singing Aiyuk's praises, as 49ers rookie quarterback Brock Purdy noted the game plan wasn’t just to feed the ball to the Arizona State product. However, with how Aiyuk was playing, Purdy simply had to get the ball to No. 11.
“He’s just a reliable guy,” Purdy told reporters. “It wasn’t like we’re going into the game like, ‘All right, we’ve got to dial all the stuff up for BA, or anything like that. It was really for everyone to get open and do their part.
San Francisco 49ers
“BA does a great job in winning his man-to-man matchups. He does a great job of creating space. I trust him in terms of where he’s going to be. At the end of the game, for him to do his thing, all I did was to put the ball on him and let him get yards after the catch. Great job by Brandon overall, man. I love that guy, I trust him, and I’m very happy for him.”
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If 49ers playoff opponents focus on shutting down Kittle, they'll need to do so at their own risk, considering Aiyuk showed he's more than capable of stepping up.