The Bucs lost a game that… well, everyone thought they would lose. Just like last year in San Francisco, the performance on the field (from the defensive side) just leaves a bad taste in your mouth when you see the difference in play between the two teams, as the Bucs were outclassed by a much better 49ers team. The final score was 27-14, but the play on the field showed a far greater disparity.

Bucs Edge Rushers Not Named Yaya Diaby

49ers QB Brock Purdy – Photo by: USA Today

While the Bucs’ interior rushers were able to create consistent pressure, the same could not be said for Joe Tryon-Shoyinka, Shaq Barrett and Anthony Nelson. Tampa Bay’s edge rushers had very minimal impact as part of the pass rush and failed to help Vita Vea and Calijah Kancey turn more of their pressures into sacks. In the first half, Brock Purdy was able to scramble out of several tight spots and find open space before hitting a receiver downfield because the Bucs’ outside linebackers could not come off their own blocks to capitalize as clean up rushers.

Carlton Davis

Davis missed several tackles throughout the game, allowing San Francisco receivers and tight ends to continually add yards above and beyond their initial catch. Davis’ effort level on some of those plays left a lot to be desired. It was an embarrassing effort and performance overall. And that doesn’t even begin to describe his and the rest of the secondary’s performance against the pass. More on that later.

Devin White

Bucs ILB Devin White and 49ers RB Christian McCaffrey – Photo by: USA Today

Devin White was picked on throughout the game by 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan and San Francisco’s offense. In man coverage, Christian McCaffery ran away from him for a touchdown to open the scoring. In the run game, Kyle Juszczyk blocked him into oblivion near the goal line in the second half. In zone coverage, Brock Purdy dropped pass after pass after pass over White’s head on his way to a 333-yard passing day.

Jamel Dean

Dean got beat off the line by Brandon Aiyuk in the third quarter and would never be able to catch up. Brock Purdy was able to lay in a beautiful pass that Aiyuk then raced to the endzone for a 76-yard touchdown to put the 49ers up by 13 points. Dean pulled up with an injury at the end of the play and left the game.

Bucs Secondary

In addition to Davis and Dean’s individual losses, Zyon McCollum missed multiple tackles and was targeted on several pass plays that were completed. Christian Izien was out of position on multiple chunk plays. The entire back end of the Bucs defense is a complete mess right now.

If the pass rush can’t get home, the play is a likely loss for Tampa Bay. 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy was 21-of-25 for 333 yards, three touchdowns and a perfect passer rating. That last part is a feat not accomplished by a San Francisco quarterback since George H.W. Bush was president. Let that sink in.

Christian Izien And The Bucs’ Underneath Linebacker Coverages

Brock Purdy was able to continually exploit the Bucs pass defense over the middle in the intermediate part of the field. Play after play, he was able to drop passes over Lavonte David, Christian Izien, Devin White and SirVocea Dennis, who all failed to get to proper depths attempting to execute head coach Todd Bowles’ spot-drop defense.

Baker Mayfield

Bucs QB Baker Mayfield – Photo by: USA Today

Mayfield had so many good throws on the day. I am sure he will end up with at least three big-time throws by Pro Football Focus’ standards, but he also had several turnover-worthy plays. And I will not blame Baker for the interception that ended up on the stat sheet.

His refusal to give up on a play in the first half led to a fumble, which was a turnover that likely took points off the board. In addition to that, Mayfield threw two almost-interceptions on passes over the middle where he either did not see a robbing defender or could not get the ball over an underneath linebacker.

On top of that, the Bucs quarterback’s struggle with the deep ball continued in this game as he missed Evans on a go ball. Mayfield is one of the worst deep-ball passers in the NFL this year, and that is a skill that is supposed to be one of his strengths.

In fairness, Mayfield’s receivers did him little favors throughout the game with a couple of ill-timed drops. But he is a quarterback trying to show that he is a top-tier signal caller in the NFL. Against a top-tier defense, he once again was unable to elevate the offense around him to find a way to keep up. This start was a microcosm of the player Mayfield is. A starting-level quarterback. Flashes of brilliance. Flashes of mind-boggling decisions. A solid overall stat line and a could-have, would-have, should-have narrative that continues to follow him.