A much-improved offensive performance from the San Francisco 49ers did not yield a victory in their 40-34 loss to the Detroit Lions on Monday. The penultimate game of a disappointing season may not have gone their way, but the Niners were given a reason for optimism for the future through one of the main sources of their explosion on offense. First-round wide receiver Ricky Pearsall has had a rookie year he will never forget, with his first year in the NFL dominated by the remarkable story of him surviving a gunshot wound through the chest during an attempted armed robbery in August.
Pearsall did not suffer any damage to his internal organs. As a result of that incident, Pearsall had to wait until Week 7 to make his NFL debut, and he had only 190 yards receiving and one touchdown going into the Week 17 primetime clash with Detroit. But the breakout game that illustrated why the 49ers took him 31st overall came in spectacular fashion against a struggling Lions defense, Pearsall going for 141 yards receiving and a touchdown.
His yardage tally marked the highest by any 49ers rookie receiver in a single game since Jerry Rice racked up 241 in 1985. A post shared by San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) For quarterback Brock Purdy, it was no surprise to see Pearsall dice up Detroit, with his prolific performance the result the former Florida Gator's determination and willingness to learn. "We've all seen that in Ricky since he's been here, the way he runs routes and he's explosive," said Pu.
