The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and San Francisco 49ers are set to face off in a battle that may go a long way when it comes to playoff ramifications. The Bucs are sitting at 4-5 while the Niners, despite not having Christian McCaffrey all season, are sitting at 4-4. The big difference between the two when it comes to their standings is the Niners are just a half game out of the lead in the NFC West while the Bucs are now 2.5 games behind the Falcons and may have to set their sights on the Wild Card race.
Baker Mayfield is still having an elite season. Despite the turnovers, Mayfield is sitting in second in the league in touchdown passes - behind Joe Burrow and Lamar Jackson, both of which have played one more game than he has. Mayfield’s 71.4% completion percentage is fourth in the league while his 2,389 passing yards are also fourth - but also trailing the two guys that have played in ten games compared to his nine.
It’s the defense that has Bucs fans worried in this one. Kyle Shanahan’s offense is a troubling one for defenses that play a lot of zone - and especially troubling for Todd Bowles, who hasn’t beaten Shanahan in their four previous meetings.
The Bucs are 30th in total defense, 30th in passing defense, 19th in rushing defense, and 28th in scoring defense - so for as reliable and solid as the offense has been, the defense hasn’t been able to get the job done more often than not.
Christian McCaffrey making his season debut adds another wrinkle to things as he’s the most dangerous running back in the league in both the run and the pass game, so the resources the Bucs are going to have to use on him when he’s in the game opens things up for other players like George Kittle and Deebo Samuel.
Kittle has been on a hot streak, scoring a touchdown in five of the last six games. The Bucs’ defense is ranked 30th against the tight end and have given up a touchdown to that position in three of the last five games.
Zyon McCollum will face arguably his toughest test of the season against Deebo Samuel who is a weapon that gets utilized in all different ways. They set up designed runs, he’s a threat on quick routes, he’s a guy that can take the top off a defense - if he has the ball in his hands, he can score from anywhere on the field.
This is the third straight year these two teams have met and the fourth time since 2019. The 49ers lead the all-time series 20-7 and have won three in a row, as well as five of the last seven. The last Bucs’ win came in 2018 inside Ray Jay where the Bucs won 27-9. Since Shanahan took over and has faced Bowles’ defense, the Niners have averaged 31 points per game.
The Bucs are 6.5-point home underdogs in this one with an over/under of 50.5. The Bucs have had six games in a row hit the over while the 49ers haven’t covered the spread in seven straight games following a win. The Niners have also won nine straight games when they have the “rest advantage.”
When: Sunday, November 10
Where: Raymond James Stadium (Tampa, FL)
Kickoff: 1:00 p.m. ET
TV: FOX – Kevin Burkhardt (Play by Play), Tom Brady (Analyst), Erin Andrews & Tom Rinaldi (Reporters)
Bucs Radio: 98Rock – Gene Deckerhoff (Play by Play), Dave Moore (Color), T.J. Rives (Reporter)
Spanish Radio: 96.1 Caliente – Carlos Bohorquez (Play by Play), Martín Gramática (Analyst), Santiago Gramática (Reporter)
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and San Francisco 49ers are set to face off in a battle that may go a long way when it comes to playoff ramifications. The Bucs are sitting at 4-5 while the Niners, despite not having Christian McCaffrey all season, are sitting at 4-4. The big difference between the two when it comes to their standings is the Niners are just a half game out of the lead in the NFC West while the Bucs are now 2.5 games behind the Falcons and may have to set their sights on the Wild Card race.
Baker Mayfield is still having an elite season. Despite the turnovers, Mayfield is sitting in second in the league in touchdown passes - behind Joe Burrow and Lamar Jackson, both of which have played one more game than he has. Mayfield’s 71.4% completion percentage is fourth in the league while his 2,389 passing yards are also fourth - but also trailing the two guys that have played in ten games compared to his nine.
It’s the defense that has Bucs fans worried in this one. Kyle Shanahan’s offense is a troubling one for defenses that play a lot of zone - and especially troubling for Todd Bowles, who hasn’t beaten Shanahan in their four previous meetings.
The Bucs are 30th in total defense, 30th in passing defense, 19th in rushing defense, and 28th in scoring defense - so for as reliable and solid as the offense has been, the defense hasn’t been able to get the job done more often than not.
Christian McCaffrey making his season debut adds another wrinkle to things as he’s the most dangerous running back in the league in both the run and the pass game, so the resources the Bucs are going to have to use on him when he’s in the game opens things up for other players like George Kittle and Deebo Samuel.
Kittle has been on a hot streak, scoring a touchdown in five of the last six games. The Bucs’ defense is ranked 30th against the tight end and have given up a touchdown to that position in three of the last five games.
Zyon McCollum will face arguably his toughest test of the season against Deebo Samuel who is a weapon that gets utilized in all different ways. They set up designed runs, he’s a threat on quick routes, he’s a guy that can take the top off a defense - if he has the ball in his hands, he can score from anywhere on the field.
This is the third straight year these two teams have met and the fourth time since 2019. The 49ers lead the all-time series 20-7 and have won three in a row, as well as five of the last seven. The last Bucs’ win came in 2018 inside Ray Jay where the Bucs won 27-9. Since Shanahan took over and has faced Bowles’ defense, the Niners have averaged 31 points per game.
The Bucs are 6.5-point home underdogs in this one with an over/under of 50.5. The Bucs have had six games in a row hit the over while the 49ers haven’t covered the spread in seven straight games following a win. The Niners have also won nine straight games when they have the “rest advantage.”
When: Sunday, November 10
Where: Raymond James Stadium (Tampa, FL)
Kickoff: 1:00 p.m. ET
TV: FOX – Kevin Burkhardt (Play by Play), Tom Brady (Analyst), Erin Andrews & Tom Rinaldi (Reporters)
Bucs Radio: 98Rock – Gene Deckerhoff (Play by Play), Dave Moore (Color), T.J. Rives (Reporter)
Spanish Radio: 96.1 Caliente – Carlos Bohorquez (Play by Play), Martín Gramática (Analyst), Santiago Gramática (Reporter)
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