TAMPA, Fla. — The 49ers opened the second half of their season looking every bit like they did in the first eight games of the season.
Even with some of their key offensive players back in action, the 49ers’ struggles continued in the red zone. The defense had difficulty coming up with the big stop.
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And, once again, special teams were dreadful — so dreadful, in fact, that Deebo Samuel had clearly seen enough.
Kicker Jake Moody had a rough day, but he made a 44-yard field goal attempt as time expired for a 23-20 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday in a wild one to open the second half of the 49ers’ season.
JAKE MOODY CALLED GAME pic.twitter.com/Z1ndyK89Zv
— 49ers on NBCS (@NBCS49ers) November 10, 2024
Quarterback Brock Purdy completed 25 of 36 attempts for 353 yards and two touchdowns to help lead the 49ers to the victory.
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Despite all their issues, the 49ers were clinging to a lead late in the game before allowing the Bucs to tie up late.
Purdy scrambled around and bought enough time to find tight end George Kittle in the back left corner of the end zone for an 11-yard touchdown that gave the 49ers a 20-17 lead with 7:02 remaining in regulation.
But things got plenty ugly after that, too.
Moody missed his third field goal of the game, and Deebo Samuel expressed his displeasure. Then, Samuel and long-snapper Taybor Pepper got into a brief, heated altercation on the sideline.
Through all the 49ers’ ups and downs, this was the first time the team showed outward signs of reaching a boiling point.
After the tense internal moment, the 49ers’ defense caved with consecutive penalties on Fred Warner, Maliek Collins and Evan Anderson allowing the Buccaneers to drive deep into 49ers territory for the tying kick with 41 seconds left in regulation.
Then, the 49ers moved 39 yards down the field on five plays to set up Moody’s redemption kick.
Here are three takeaways from the 49ers’ Week 10 game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers:
McCaffrey is back … like it’s 2023
The 49ers’ sense of desperation showed. There was no saving Christian McCaffrey for a later day.
McCaffrey was activated from the injured reserve list on Saturday. One day later, the 49ers used McCaffrey as if he’d been on the field all season long.
McCaffrey was the NFL Offensive Player of the Year in 2023. He played 81 percent of the 49ers’ offensive snaps. He accounted for 1,459 yards and 14 touchdowns rushing to go with 564 yards and seven touchdowns receiving.
McCaffrey started in his season debut and played the first 11 offensive snaps of the game for the 49ers before backup Jordan Mason stepped onto the field.
After the 49ers’ first three possessions, the 49ers had 25 offensive plays, and McCaffrey touched the ball 10 times. He had seven rushing attempts for 21 yards and three receptions for 23 yards. He finished with 39 yards on 13 carries.
McCaffrey missed the first eight games of the season with Achilles tendinitis in both legs. On Friday, before the 49ers departed for their trip, McCaffrey said he was feeling great.
He underwent unspecified treatment in Germany in late September for the condition.
“When you’re on IR and you’re hurt, you’ll do anything to come back, so I’m feeling good now and that’s all that matters,” McCaffrey said on Friday.
Entering the game with a 4-4 record, the 49ers are not saving McCaffrey for later in the season. Obviously, the 49ers felt as if they had to do everything possible to win this game.
More special teams meltdowns
The 49ers have been a disaster on special teams this season, and Sunday was more of the same.
The 49ers let an opportunity to score points at the end of the first half get away when Moody missed a 49-yard field goal attempt. He also missed from 50 and 44 yards in the fourth quarter.
An even bigger mistake occurred early in the second half, and it led directly to the Buccaneers’ first touchdown of the game.
The 49ers’ defense held Tampa Bay on the first series of the third quarter. But the 49ers’ offense never even had a chance to get on the field.
Buccaneers gunner Tavierre Thomas blocked Darrell Luter into his teammate, punt returner Jacob Cowing. Tampa Bay’s Anthony Nelson recovered the muffed punt at the 49ers’ 21-yard line. Four plays later, Baker Mayfield hit running back Rachaad White on a 9-yard touchdown pass to make it a 10-10 game.
The 49ers’ first eight games of the season were marked by special-teams miscues that contributed greatly to multiple losses.
Luter was involved in a similar play that proved critical in the 49ers’ Super Bowl loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, too. A punt struck Luter’s leg and return man Ray-Ray McCloud failed to cover the ball. That turnover led to Kansas City’s only touchdown of regulation.
Pearsall pierces end zone for first time
Rookie wide receiver Ricky Pearsall is getting more and more comfortable in the offense, and it showed on Sunday.
Pearsall made his first big play in the NFL in the first quarter when he caught a Brock Purdy pass behind linebackers Lavonte David and J.J. Russell and showed his 4.41 speed.
Pearsall was up against Buccaneers safety Antoine Winfield Jr., stutter-stepped and angled his way to the left front corner of the end zone.
Pearsall got the ball over the goal line for his first career touchdown, giving the 49ers a 7-0 lead in the first quarter.
FIRST CAREER TD FOR PEARSALL 🫡 pic.twitter.com/BTBWEJMi0b
— 49ers on NBCS (@NBCS49ers) November 10, 2024
The 49ers selected Pearsall with the No. 31 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. But his NFL debut was delayed when he sustained a gunshot wound to his chest on Aug. 31. He was placed on the non-football injury list and missed the first six games of the season.
Pearsall’s continued development and contributions are going to be important down the stretch with wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk out for the season with a torn ACL.
Pearsall was in the starting lineup on Sunday, as the 49ers opened with three wide receivers. He joined Deebo Samuel and Jauan Jennings in the starting lineup against Tampa Bay.