The Bucs defense is looking to get back on track and play a complete game as they prepare to face head coach Kyle Shanahan’s 49ers offense this Sunday. There have been stretches where head coach Todd Bowles’ unit has displayed dominance or at least prevented points from being scored. In particular, Tampa Bay limited the Jets to six points in the first half, the Eagles to seven points in the second half, and the Seahawks to seven points in the first half in recent weeks.

What has transpired in the other half of those games has nearly cost the team some wins, and things do not get easier going up against Shanahan. An offensive mastermind who was the catalyst for the rest of the NFL plucking younger coaches from under him, he is still very much an innovator who gets the most from whoever is at his disposal. That makes for an intriguing chess match between two grandmasters.

Todd Bowles Knows RB Christian McCaffrey, 49ers’ Offense Pose A Challenge

No George Kittle or Brock Purdy?

No problem for the 49ers’ offense.

San Francisco’s train (or trolley) has kept chugging along despite missing two of their most important offensive pieces for stretches of this season. That is nothing new and does not include their wide receiver corps also being without Brandon Aiyuk, Ricky Pearsall, and Jauan Jennings who have been sidelined as well. Last year, when Christian McCaffrey only played four games, Jordan Mason, Isaac Guerendo, and Patrick Taylor all filled in and averaged at least 4.7 yards per carry.

For Kyle Shanahan, he can plug anyone into those key positions and have success.

49ers QB Mac Jones – Photo by: USA Today

That is why the 49ers come into town at 4-1, with Mac Jones likely starting again after Brock Purdy’s injury setback. McCaffrey is healthy but has filled a different role as the team’s leading receiver. His 39 receptions are almost double of Pearsall’s, who sits second with 20 receptions. The offense has gone through C-Mac through the air, even if he has yet to have a big game on the ground.

Todd Bowles discussed the challenges of facing the talented, do-it-all-back on Wednesday.

“The challenge is everywhere,” Bowles said about defending McCaffrey. “The biggest thing is the ‘YAC’ (yards after catch) yards. You don’t mind him catching check downs, but he’s so good with it after the catch that we’ve got to rally to the ball. We’ve got to get people around him.”

Safety Tykee Smith echoed that sentiment, emphasizing tackling discipline.

49ers RB Christian McCaffrey – Photo by: USA Today

“He is going to get plays, but the biggest thing is making sure he does not get any ‘YAC’ yards,” Smith said. “So, making the tackle, not missing tackles and playing gap-sound football.”

That will be the primary focus for Bowles’ defense this week — limiting McCaffrey’s yards after the catch. Tampa Bay has gotten burned by chunk passing plays to running backs, but McCaffrey is different. McCaffrey’s versatility seems genetic — his father, Ed, was a Pro Bowl receiver with the Broncos, and his brother Luke is now catching passes with the Commanders.

With an unprecedented 1,000-yard receiving yard on his resume with the Panthers in 2019, there is no better weapon at Jones’ disposal out of the backfield, meaning they have to be sharper than ever this time around.

Bucs Defense Recognizes Just How Well 49ers “System Offense” Works

The 49ers have found a way to make do with their cast of players this season, and the Bucs cannot underestimate who they are going against.

San Francisco’s offensive system has not skipped a beat, even with multiple starters sidelined. Of their 10 touchdown passes thrown this season — only one has gone to a wide receiver. Although their top wide receivers have been out, that does not seem to matter much, either. They signed veteran Kendrick Bourne off the street, and in his first game, Bourne caught 10 of 11 passes for 142 receiving yards.

That is vintage Shanahan: unpredictable and relentlessly efficient with whoever is out there.

Bucs HC Todd Bowles and 49ers HC Kyle Shanahan – Photo by: USA Today

“He’s a great coach,” Todd Bowles said. “He studies himself very well. They change all the time. They do a great job of self-scouting themselves, understanding what you’re looking at, and changing those things up. They have great players that can execute.”

Outside linebacker Haason Reddick has seen that up close and personal, spending four seasons going against Shanahan’s offense in the NFC West with the Cardinals. Talking to Pewter Report, Reddick shared his thoughts on how their scheme is successful.

“It’s a system offense; I’m with you on that,” Reddick said. “There is some talent over there, at the end of the day. For the positions that you think are most important and things like that, they can kind of slide anybody into those positions and still run their offense the way that they have. I’ve seen it since my Arizona days. It doesn’t matter who the running back is, who the quarterback is, their system is plug-and-play, it works.”

For Bowles’ defense, the formula is simple. Stop McCaffrey first, and everything else gets easier. But as Reddick knows from experience, that is easier said than done against Shanahan’s machine. The Bucs will need their most disciplined, complete defensive effort of the season to slow down the 49ers’ plug-and-play powerhouse.

“He’s a spark plug, his talent is unbelievable,” Reddick said on McCaffrey. “Won’t deny that, but I mean even before Christian got there, Raheem Mostert, all kinds of guys that they had at running back were able to make that offense go. He’s a dual threat with being able to catch out of the backfield, so that does add more of a safety blanket. Even in years’ past, it didn’t matter who the running back was, you can go in that system and damn near plug anybody in and kind of expect the results that they have been getting.”