2024 Week 10: 49ers 23, Buccaneers 20

This was a close game, but San Fran was always in control. Jake Moody had a rough return missing 3 field goals, and they muffed a punt. Those all helped keep TB in the game. Even when things were going wrong for the Niners they still found a way to win in the clutch, a sign of a good team.

The Niners (5-4) are half a game back from Arizona. The Niners have a tough schedule coming up which means the NFC West will be close between these two and the Rams if they can stay hot.

Tampa (4-6) has a cupcake schedule the rest of the season. The best team they play is the Chargers, a very good team, but the next-best opponent is New Orleans in Week 18 after most Fantasy seasons are done. Atlanta has the tiebreaker over them so they likely won’t win the South, but it’s possible with this easy schedule.

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QB Report:
- Brock Purdy (25/36 for 353 yards, 2 TDs) had an excellent game, I’m not sure why he’s so disrespected. Analysts, fans, media, all hate him for no reason other than being the last pick of the draft. In classic 2024-Niners fashion, the offense wasn’t able to convert in the red zone despite getting CMC and Jennings rolling, and Kittle and Deebo playing well. I know this team is going to find the endzone eventually. They’re simply too good and too talented to not.

- Baker Mayfield (18/29 for 116 yards, 1 TD) looked fine, his first down game in weeks. This is also the best defense he’s faced in weeks, no cause for concern here. Late in the game, Baker made two of the craziest throws I’ve ever seen… scrambling out of the pocket and completing two passes to Rachaad White, both while stiff-arming a defender with his left hand.

RB Report:
- Just to build on Rachaad White (10-31-0; 6 catches for 39 yards, 1 TD), he has been playing so well since losing the lead role in this backfield. White has scored at least one touchdown in each of his last 4 games, and his score in this game showed some nice after-the-catch work, weaving past multiple defenders in the middle of the field to score. I’ve been shouting this all season and last season, and the season before that, that White is one of the best-receiving backs in the league, and TB is finally getting him real and intentional work in the passing game. 

- Bucky Irving (13-73-1; 3 catches for 14 yards) is looking better than I had expected, as is Sean Tucker. Irving is a more elusive back than White so he ‘looks better’, and flashier, but he’s transitioning to the NFL well.

Tucker is also a great running back but he’s forgotten about behind White and Irving, logging zero snaps just a few weeks after he willed this team to a win. He could probably start for several teams, LV, NE,  DAL, to name a few.

- Quick CMC (13-39-0; 6 catches for 68 yards) note, but he is 100% back. Modern medicine is crazy, what could have been a career-altering injury is now just a few months off and back to 100%. Whatever those German doctors gave him, we need it in the US.

WR/TE Report:
- Another player I’ve been beating the drum about has been Jauan Jennings (7-93-0/11). Jennings is Purdy’s #1 guy, this game proved it, and I don’t think it’s going away. Deebo Samuel (5-62-0/6; 3 rushes for 14 yards) and Ricky Pearsall (4-73-1/6) are just options for Purdy, while Jennings and Kittle (3-57-1/4) are the go-to looks.

- The only options for Baker are Cade Otton (5-35-0/8) and Rachaad White. Obviously, I like Rakim Jarrett (2-10-0/4) and still believe in his talents, but Baker doesn’t care too much about anyone else. When Mike Evans returns it’ll be Evans, with White and Otton as secondary options.

D/ST Report:
- The Tampa defense is about to go on a crazy run after their BYE this week, I put out a tweet regarding this defense and the Arizona D/STs schedule.

The Buccanneers' schedule is even more favorable facing:

Wk12 - at NYG (Lock/DeVito)

Wk13 - at CAR (Young)

Wk14 - LV (Minshew/Ridder/AOC)

Wk15 - at LAC (Herbert) Not good

Wk16 - at DAL (Rush/Lance)

Wk17 - CAR (Young, again)

Wk18 - NO (Carr)

The Buccaneers have a chance to be the highest-scoring defense for the rest of the season.

image source: (AP Photo/Jason Behnken)