The last time Deebo Samuel created such a spotlight, he basked in its glow.

A year ago, on Dec. 3, 2023, the San Francisco 49ers’ All-Pro wide receiver entered Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia as the target of Eagles fan ire and exited with 198 all-purpose yards and a career-high three touchdowns in a 42-19 victory.

Samuel had spent the previous 11 months getting Philadelphia’s profane partisans worked up with incendiary comments before he spent three hours shutting them up. He became the fourth wide receiver since 2000 to have two receiving touchdowns and a rushing score in a game.

“I love the fact that he can talk and set the stage and walk into a hostile environment and just thrive,” pass rusher Nick Bosa said after the game. “That’s what greatness is made of, for sure.”

On Thursday night, 374 days later, Samuel has a chance to prove that greatness isn’t gone.

Samuel again has created a stir before the 49ers (6-7) host the Rams (7-6) at Levi’s Stadium in a game S.F. must win to maintain any hope of reaching the playoffs. On Monday, the emotional team captain suggested on social media that his recent drought — he has had 97 total yards in the past four games — was due to factors beyond his control: “Not struggling at all just not getting the ball!!!!!!!”

This time, based on the comments to his nine-word message he later deleted, Samuel has angered his own fans, who, among other criticisms, have called out his poor timing: Samuel complained about his usage a day after a mood-lifting 38-13 win over the Bears that snapped a three-game losing streak and featured a season-high point total and 452 yards.

Samuel didn’t apologize Tuesday when asked about his post, but acknowledged he allowed his emotions to boil over.

“You read what you read,” Samuel said. “I was frustrated, for sure.”

Despite stats suggesting otherwise, Samuel, who will turn 29 in January, seems to believe he can be the same do-everything force he was in 2021 when he earned a three-year, $73.5 million extension by accounting for 1,770 total yards, scoring 14 touchdowns, leading the NFL in yards per catch (18.2) and averaging 6.2 yards on his carries.

If so, the 49ers desperately need to see that version of Samuel against L.A., given their offensive attrition. The 49ers will play without three All-Pros — wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk, running back Christian McCaffrey and left tackle Trent Williams — and could be forced to give their fourth-string running back, Patrick Taylor, his first career start with rookie speedster Issac Guerendo questionable to play because of a sprained foot.

However, they faced a similar situation against the Bears and Samuel didn’t fill the void. He had 13 yards on five carries and two receptions for 22 yards on three targets, just one more than rookie wide receiver Ricky Pearsall, who has one catch in the past four games. Tight end George Kittle and wide receiver Jauan Jennings combined for 13 receptions for 241 yards and two touchdowns on 14 targets.

A day later, Samuel posted his social-media message, which had his teammates taking pains Tuesday to explain the reasons for his subpar season.

Samuel has 553 yards on 40 catches and is on pace for 860 total yards, which would be the fewest in any of the five seasons in which he has played more than seven games. He has caught 62.5% of the passes on which he has been targeted. Kittle and Jennings have combined to catch 77.9% of the passes thrown their way.

“I think he’s right,” quarterback Brock Purdy said. “He’s doing great right now with what we ask of him in the offense. And he is not struggling or anything. … There’s just moments, I guess, throughout seasons where guys just don’t get the ball, just depending on what the defensive scheme is and them taking guys away.”

Samuel averaged 6.3 yards per rushing attempt in his first five seasons (2019-23), the highest average in the NFL among players with 150-plus rushes over that span. This season, he’s averaging a career-worst 2.9 yards on 32 carries, making him one of four players with at least 30 attempts to average less than 3.0 yards per carry in 2024.

Kittle said Samuel wasn’t successful as a running back against the Bears because Chicago’s defense had “better calls” on some plays and the 49ers didn’t execute blocks on others.

“To me, Deebo’s very close to just breaking it wide open,” Kittle said. “Guys want to voice their opinion on social media. It is what it is. I don’t care. It doesn’t make anyone in this locker room think any differently about him. Deebo thinks highly of himself, as we all think very highly of Deebo, because he’s a hell of a football player.”

The numbers offer evidence that what has made Samuel special has been lacking. He’s not an elite route runner, but he has been among the NFL’s best with the ball in his hands because of his acceleration and force. From 2019 through 2023, he averaged a broken tackle every 6.4 touches; this season, he’s averaging a broken tackle every 18. Samuel led NFL receivers with 38 broken tackles after catches from 2021 through 2023. This season, he has three, tied for 24th among wideouts.

Is Samuel running with less violence? On Tuesday, when asked about his struggles as a running back, he said defenses have been ready for him.

“They’re not surprised anymore,” Samuel said. “We’ve been running it for three years now. We’ve got a 50-50 chance when I’m in the backfield of me getting a handoff or an end-around.”

In 2021, when the 49ers were 3-5, they surprised the Rams in a 31-10 home win on “Monday Night Football” by lining up Samuel at running back and giving him a career-high five carries, which resulted in 36 yards and a touchdown. It marked the start of a second-half turnaround in a 10-7 season in which Samuel became a self-proclaimed “wide back” and ascended into NFL stardom.

Three years later, the circumstances are similar with the 49ers facing the Rams in a must-win, prime-time game at Levi’s Stadium. This time, however, Samuel doesn’t appear to be the same.

Samuel created the spotlight that will be squarely on him Thursday. The stage is set to see if he can, again, summon something special, proving that the greatness he displayed just a year ago isn’t gone.