A pair of NFC divisional leaders square off at Levi's Stadium, as the San Francisco 49ers can extend their winning streak to six games when hosting the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday.
Tampa evened its record at 6-6 on Monday as they engineered a last-second drive, stunning the New Orleans Saints 17-16, while the Niners' 33-17 victory over the Miami Dolphins came at a cost, with the team losing another quarterback to injury.
Match preview
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Not even the fourth-ranked offensive unit of the Miami Dolphins could slow down the vaunted San Francisco defence last weekend, as Kyle Shanahan's team did not allow a third-down conversion, while they sacked Tua Tagovailoa twice and picked him off a pair of times as well.
San Francisco have allowed fewer points (15.8) and yards per game (283.9) than any unit in the NFL, while the secondary has come up with six interceptions over the past four games.
While they have been solid in pass coverage all season, their stamina in the secondary will be tested this week having to face a quarterback who gets rid of the ball as quickly as any NFL pivot.
That is one thing the Niners have not defended as well this year, allowing a 94.6 rating to opposing quarterbacks who release the ball in fewer than 2.5 seconds.
On the other side of the ball, their offence will be in the hands of Mr Irrelevant, a nickname given to the last player chosen in the NFL draft.
Fortunately, the Niners have an array of talented running backs and receivers who could take the pressure off their young QB, racking up 121 yards on the ground versus the Dolphins, while seven players had at least one catch.
The Niners are currently on a six-game winning streak at Levi's Stadium versus teams from their conference, going 3-0 against NFC opponents in the Bay so far this season.
Their last home defeat to an NFC opponent occurred over a year ago when their NFC West rivals, the Arizona Cardinals, beat them 31-17.
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For three quarters, it looked like the Bucs would suffer a second successive defeat, but anything is possible when you have Tom Brady, AKA the G.O.A.T., behind centre.
Down 13-3 to the New Orleans Saints heading into the final quarter, Todd Bowles's offence woke up in the nick of time, putting up 14 points, including the winning touchdown with two seconds remaining.
Their offence has been relying almost exclusively on the pass, with their veteran QB attempting 54 throws on Monday as they managed just 76 yards on the ground on 20 carries.
Tampa have struggled to contain screen passes and opposing rushers in pass-catching situations, allowing a 102.7 rating to running backs this year.
They have been even worse against tight ends, allowing them a 108.5 rating this season, though the Bucs have improved against the run, conceding less than 100 yards rushing in three of its last four games.
Putting opposing quarterbacks under duress has been key to getting their defence off the field, as the Bucs are ranked fourth in the league with 38 sacks, posting two or more in each of their last five contests.
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Team News
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Brock Purdy will make his first start as an NFL quarterback on Sunday, and the man picked last in the previous NFL draft threw for 210 yards when called into action last week, hitting Kyle Juszczyk and Christian McCaffrey for touchdowns, while Deebo Samuel had six catches for 58 yards.
Their secondary stepped up in a big way versus perhaps the league's most dangerous receiving corps last weekend as Deommodore Lenoir, Fred Warner and Jimmie Ward each had an interception, while Nick Bosa posted three sacks as he now leads the NFL with 14.5.
Jimmy Garoppolo is not expected back until the playoffs if the Niners make it there, as the veteran QB suffered a foot injury against the Dolphins, Spencer Burford and Arik Armstead saw limited practice time this week because of ankle issues, while Tavarius Moore continues to deal with a problem in his knee.
Bucs QB Tom Brady had a rating of just 84.0 on Monday night, but the G.O.A.T. engineered a last-play drive, finding Rachaad White in the dying seconds, while Cade Otton also had a TD catch and Chris Godwin led them with eight grabs for 63 yards.
Lavonte David had an outstanding performance against New Orleans leading all players with 10 tackles to go along with a sack, Carl Nassib also registered one, William Gholston made four tackles and Keanu Neal had five.
Antoine Winfield did not practice all week because of an ankle strain, Vita Vea has a foot/shoulder issue, Sean Murphy-Bunting is recovering from a problem in his quadriceps and Mike Edwards has a hamstring injury.
Head To Head
Sunday will be the first meeting between these two teams since 2019, with San Fran triumphing in that encounter 31-17 as Richard Sherman had a pick-six, as did Ahkello Witherspoon, Richie James posted a 39-yard touchdown catch and Robbie Gould kicked three field goals.
Most of the recent meetings between the Bucs and Niners have been one-sided, with the last close game dating back to 2007 when San Francisco's Frank Gore, Vernon Davis and Darrell Jackson each had a TD grab from Shaun Hill, winning 21-19.
The 49ers lead the overall series versus the Bucs 18-7, though Tampa have won two of the last three encounters, including in 2018, as Jameis Winston found Cameron Brate and Adam Humphries for touchdown catches in a 27-9 victory.
We say: San Francisco 49ers 24-14 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
A year ago, the Bucs would probably have the edge going up against a quarterback with next to no experience, but a lot has changed in Tampa in 2022, and no one has stepped up for Brady consistently on offence this year.
Purdy will have the luxury of a defence that are as stingy as they come, and we expect that unit will be able to force a turnover or two and give their rookie QB some short fields to work with on Sunday.
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Joel Lefevre
