Bucs Vs. 49ers
bucs vs. 49ers
By: Alyssa
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers played against the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday, December 11th, in San Francisco at the Levi Stadium. The game marked the 49ers Mr. Irrelevant Brock Purdy’s first-ever game in the starting position, as he was formerly known as the third-string quarterback. Due to QB 1 Jimmy Garoppolo out with an injury of a broken foot that occurred during the first quarter of the Dolphins game, and QB 2 Trey Lance’s broken ankle injury that took place during week two. It was time for Brock Purdy to show that he is not anywhere close to irrelevant and is ready to continue to lead the 49ers to victory.
The Buccaneers continue to stand first in the NFC South with a (6-7) record despite a tragic 35-7 loss. The next four games for the Buccaneers are crucial if they want to enhance their chances in the playoffs. Next Sunday, December 18th, the Bucs play the Bengals, another team that rose to the top last year as a Super Bowl competitor, and this year they have defeated some great teams.
For this comeback to happen, the team needs to protect Brady, as the Bucs cannot afford to dump passes and lose control of the ball. This starts with the offensive line, as they have yet to give Brady more time. It has been tough out on the field for these guys as they have played against some of the best defenses in the NFL and are constantly being beaten up. However, the offensive line not protecting Brady does not give him much time to allow plays to be developed where the receivers need more time to get open down the field. Instead of Brady throwing second and short, he has to throw long, which creates pressure on him to throw it to the running backs, where the ball is potentially dumped.
The penalties must be minimized within these next few games; otherwise, it will be season over. Many of the calls by the refs Sunday seemed unfair, but the truth is that it’s the integrity of the game. San Francisco scored one touchdown after another because they played smart and effectively. Costly penalties completely changed the flow of the game. Bucs Keanu Neal sacked Purdy in the first quarter on the first offensive snap, but it did not count. The refs called for roughing the passer, awarding the 49ers 15 yards and a first down. The Bucs would have opened the game with a sack if Neal had hit Purdy in the chest. Instead, Neal hit Purdy too high, and it is a difficult adjustment for defenders, but calls like these can be crucial in a challenging game. Especially on holding over the course of two games now, Donavan Smith has been called for holding, which has caused two touchdowns to have been erased. Brady connected with Evans for a 68-yard touchdown which was erased due to Smith being flagged for holding. Many Bucs fans were upset by these calls, but there is no changing the ref’s minds; the way around it is to play smarter.
The Bucs have one week to pull it together, and just like Brady said, one game does not define this team. Next Sunday is a new game itself, and this game will not determine the outcome of the next. Tampa Bay has a chance to turn the season around as they have done it before; it is just a matter of the team wanting it. There are four more weeks until the playoffs start, and if they do what they need to do to upset the Bengals this upcoming week, there could be a significant turnaround.