BUCS at 49ERS

WHEN: Sunday, November 19, 2023 | WHERE: Levi’s Stadium | KICKOFF: 4:05 p.m. ET | TV: FOX

PLAY-BY-PLAY: Joe Davis | ANALYST: Daryl Johnston | SIDELINE: Pam Oliver

RADIO: 98 ROCK 97.9 FM | PLAY-BY-PLAY: Gene Deckerhoff | ANALYST: Dave Moore | SIDELINE: T.J. Rives

Game day is approaching, and it’s time for the Pewter Report staff to make its weekly game predictions and offer up our game preview of this week’s matchup. Let us know what you think in the article comments section and add your prediction, too.

Scott Reynolds: Overmatched Bucs Get Crushed By 49ers

Bucs OC Dave Canales and QB Baker Mayfield – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

The 49ers have scored 30 points or more in all six of their victories this year, including a 34-3 dismantling of the Jaguars last week in Jacksonville. In San Francisco’s three losses the team has only scored 17 points. While Tampa Bay’s defense looked great last week, the Titans only had two real weapons to contend with – running back Derrick Henry and wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins.

The 49ers have four in running back Christian McCaffrey, tight end George Kittle and wide receivers Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiuyk. Containing two is one thing, but stopping all four is a pipe dream. If the Texans can drop 39 points on the Bucs defense I see the 49ers scoring at least 30 – even if Todd Bowles blitzes more, as he did last week against the Titans, and plays less soft zone coverage. I’m guessing McCaffrey and Kittle go off on Sunday.

Offensively, the Bucs interior offensive line will be exposed by defensive tackles Arik Armstead and Javon Hargrave, who might be the 49ers’ best defensive lineman this year. Linebackers Fred Warner and Dre Greenlaw will take out the Bucs run game and take away Rachaad White out of the backfield.

The 49ers are too veteran of a team and too talented for this Bucs squad to contend with, especially on the road. Cue the blowout, although it will be slightly closer than a year ago.

REYNOLDS’ GAME PREDICTION: 49ers 33, Bucs 13
REYNOLDS’ SEASON RECORD: 6-3

Matt Matera: Bucs Can’t Beat Good Teams

If the Eagles and Lions were the two toughest matchups for the Bucs this season, the 49ers have to be the second hardest after Philadelphia but before Detroit. The Bucs scored just 11 points facing the Eagles and were even worse with six points against the Lions, so why will it be any better going on the road to play the 49ers? The worst thing for the Bucs is that the 49ers are fully healthy, so their talent alone can get the better of the Bucs’ group.

Bucs DT Calijah Kancey – Photo By: Cliff Welch P/R

The Bucs offense has two things going for them at the moment – big plays to Mike Evans and screen plays to Rachaad White, which get him out in space and let him make moves. Problem is, the 49ers have the best linebacker duo in the game with Fred Warner and Dre Greenlaw. They’ll be able to snuff out the screens to White right away. With the Bucs’ inability to run, I don’t feel good about Baker Mayfield having to drop back several times with a great pass rush going after him.

The good news is the Bucs defense was able to get back on track last week most notably with their pass rush. But that was the Titans and this is the 49ers. The Bucs won’t generate any pressure on the left side against Trent Williams, but they can try to take advantage on the right. I’d like to see them do a couple more stunts that gets Vita Vea or Calijah Kancey out on the edge and create mismatches.

They have to be able to stop Christian McCaffrey, but I’m even more concerned about Deebo Samuel. Tampa Bay might have to shade a safety to his side on each play. We know how bad the Bucs are in zone, and Samuel can beat most cornerbacks one-on-one. There’s just too many weapons on San Fran’s side to deal with.

A loss isn’t season ending for the Bucs. I just don’t think they’ll prove yet that they’re ready to take on better competition. At least they’ll still be in the race for the division.

MATERA’S GAME PREDICTION: 49ers 28, Bucs 10
MATERA’S SEASON RECORD: 6-3

Bailey Adams: The Gap Is Too Big For The Bucs To Overcome

Bucs CB Carlton Davis III and 49ers RB Christian McCaffrey – Photo by: USA Today

Look at this game 10 different ways and you’re probably going to see the 49ers pick up the win in nine of them. Everything seems to be stacked against the Bucs in this one, from the struggles they’ve historically had out west to the fact that there’s simply a gigantic gap between them and the 49ers.

San Francisco’s three-game losing streak appears to be firmly in the rearview mirror after a 34-3 domination in Jacksonville last week. And it wouldn’t be a surprise to see a similar point differential here.

Now I’m not going to go as far as actually predicting a 31-point loss for the Bucs, who lost by 28 in San Francisco last year with the greatest quarterback of all time under center. I actually think they improve upon that point differential, as they’ve seemed to figure some things out on both sides of the ball and as a result, they could absolutely rally and win the division with some solid play down the stretch.

But I think their potential run toward a third straight NFC South title is much more likely to begin next week because I just don’t see them stealing a win here. Every way I look at it, the 49ers just have a better and deeper roster while also having a better coaching staff. San Francisco’s offense doesn’t look like a good matchup for Tampa Bay’s defense and I don’t think Baker Mayfield and the offense are going to go out and win a shoutout.

I think Tampa Bay falls behind early and struggles to really get back into it, ensuring that Weeks 1 and 2 remain the most recent time this team has won back-to-back games. But hope shouldn’t be lost for the Bucs, as they’ll soon enter a stretch that should be more manageable. They very well could finish 2023 strong and find themselves with a home playoff game come January.

ADAMS’ GAME PREDICTION: 49ers 31, Bucs 14
ADAMS’ SEASON RECORD: 5-4

Josh Queipo: Bucs Fail To Get  To .500

49ers RB Christian McCaffrey – Photo by: USA Today

The Bucs were embarrassed last year in San Francisco by a team that was clearly better than them in almost every facet of the game. One year onward and many of the storylines remain the same.

The 49ers pass rush will be an onslaught for a Bucs offensive that is good at the edges, but struggles in the interior. Without a run game to help slow down San Francisco’s bevy of pass rushers, the Bucs offense will once again look very boom or bust.

On the other side of the ball, coming off of perhaps their best performance of the year, the Bucs defense will have their hands full  matched up against some of the best play makers in the NFL. Getting Trent Williams, and Deebo Samuel back will make for a tough assignment for the Bucs front and back seven.

Ultimately, when you add in that the two coaching staffs are in completely different tiers, San Francisco wins this fairly easily.

QUEIPO’S GAME PREDICTION: 49ers 28, Bucs 17
QUEIPO’S SEASON RECORD: 6-3

Adam Slivon: San Francisco Déjà vu? Bucs Lose Again On West Coast

Looking at Sunday’s matchup between the Bucs and 49ers, it draws a lot of parallels to Tampa Bay’s Week 3 loss to the Eagles as well as last season’s Week 14 drubbing in San Francisco. With how the Bucs have played against projected playoff teams this season, it is difficult to see how the results are going to be any different this time around.

Bucs ILB Devin White, 49ers QB Brock Purdy and OLB Anthony Nelson – Photo by: USA Today

That is not to say there isn’t a chance any given Sunday, and the Bucs finally have some momentum after defeating the Titans 20-6. It will take another defensive masterclass by head coach Todd Bowles to shut down all of San Francisco’s offensive weapons.

The Brock Purdy show had a nice opening pilot last season as he picked apart Tampa Bay’s defense in his first NFL start. All of the same weapons around Purdy remain, from versatile weapons in Christian McCaffery and Deebo Samuel to leading receiver Brandon Aiyuk and top-three tight end George Kittle.

If the Bucs can limit them from lighting up the scoreboard, they then will have the difficulty of getting points of their own against the 49ers’ defense. Arik Armstead and Javon Hargrave against Tampa Bay’s interior offensive line is a matchup nightmare, while Nick Bosa and Chase Young are sure to win at times against Tristan Wirfs and Luke Goedeke.

Rachaad White has found little success on the ground this year, and with Fred Warner and Dre Greenlaw patrolling the middle, it will also prove challenging for White to have any through the air.

One of the only advantages the Bucs have is their top receivers against the 49ers’ secondary, and a lot of their offense will come from Baker Mayfield finding Mike Evans and Chris Godwin – if Mayfield gets the time to throw. If there was any week to get Trey Palmer or another receiver involved in creative ways, Sunday would be as good of a time as any.

It will take throwing everything but the kitchen sink at the 49ers to win, but it is hard to believe the Bucs can control both sides of the ball enough to pull off a win on the West Coast.

SLIVON’S GAME PREDICTION: 49ers 31, Bucs 17
SLIVON’S SEASON RECORD: 7-2