Ahead of two road games and a bye week in the next three weeks, the Bucs returned to Raymond James Stadium Sunday afternoon to host the 49ers in a matchup featuring two of the top teams in the NFC and two of the most injured teams in the NFL.

Tampa Bay was without key players like Calijah Kancey, Cody Mauch, Luke Goedeke, Mike Evans, Chris Godwin Jr., Bucky Irving, Zyon McCollum and Benjamin Morrison for the game, while San Francisco was missing starting quarterback Brock Purdy, All-Pro tight end George Kittle, top receivers Brandon Aiyuk and Ricky Pearsall and elite pass rusher Nick Bosa.

But as they’ve done all season, the Bucs and 49ers overcame their injury issues and competed at a high level. An early takeaway gave Tampa Bay an early 7-0 lead and even after falling behind 10-7 early in the second, the home team rallied back to take a 20-16 advantage into the locker room.

Despite losing Emeka Egbuka to a hamstring injury to start the second half, Baker Mayfield and the Buccaneer offense stayed afloat. Mayfield made a hero play and then went on to find Tez Johnson for a 45-yard touchdown to get the lead to eight in the third quarter, and the Tampa Bay defense – despite some shaky moments – closed it out from there. For the first time since 2018, the Bucs beat the 49ers, doing so by a score of 30-19.

And for the first time since 2021 and the sixth time ever, Tampa Bay is 5-1.

Here’s a recap of all the action from Sunday afternoon’s thrilling win at Raymond James Stadium:

Bucs 30, 49ers 19

The Bucs got the ball to open the game only to go nowhere, which led to a 47-yard Riley Dixon punt to the 49ers’ 16-yard line. That’s where Mac Jones and the San Francisco offense began their day.

It wasn’t long before Jones and Co. were facing a third down, and on that third down, Haason Reddick came free off the edge to pressure Jones into a quick throw that was intercepted by Kindle Vildor and returned to the 12-yard line. Vildor may have had a pick-six if he hadn’t stumbled and fallen twice, but nonetheless, Baker Mayfield and the Buccaneer offense were set up well in the red zone.

Two plays later, Rachaad White found the end zone, turning the turnover into points to give the Bucs a 7-0 lead.

The 49ers responded quickly with a big play, as Jones found a wide-open Kendrick Bourne for a 41-yard gain to the Tampa Bay 29. But pressure on third down once again limited the damage, as Vita Vea and rookie Elijah Roberts got to Jones for a split sack. That led Eddy Pineiro to come on for a 52-yard field goal, which cut it to a 7-3 deficit for the visitors.

Bucs DT Elijah Roberts and OLB Yaya Diaby – Photo by: USA Today

The ensuing Bucs possession went nowhere, but the 49ers suffered another significant injury blow, with All-Pro linebacker Fred Warner getting carted off the field before quickly being ruled out for the remainder of the game with an ankle injury.

The Tampa Bay defense kept the pressure on Jones as the rest of the quarter unfolded, with Yaya Diaby picking up a third-down sack before Jamel Dean recorded his first career sack to end the opening quarter with the Bucs leading 7-3.

Momentum turned as the second quarter began, as Bourne broke free for another big play, going 56 yards into Buccaneer territory. Shortly after, Christian McCaffrey fought his way into the end zone from a yard out for the 49ers’ first rushing touchdown of the season and a 10-7 lead.

Mayfield and the offense finally put an end to their quiet start on the next drive, with a 17-yard pass to Emeka Egbuka and a 23-yarder to Cade Otton getting the ball into the red zone. White kept the chains moving from there, then Sean Tucker found the end zone from 9 yards out to put the Bucs back in front. With Chase McLaughlin’s PAT, Tampa Bay had a 14-10 advantage with 5:10 to go in the first half.

Bucs RB Sean Tucker – Photo by: USA Today

The 49ers converted one key third down on their next possession, and that’s all it took to put points on the board as Eddy Pineiro hit a 54-yard field goal to cap a 27-yard drive. That got San Francisco within 14-13 with 2:05 left in the half.

Then came a crucial drive for the Buccaneer offense, as the 49ers were within one and were set to get the ball out of halftime. A 9-yard run and an 18-yard catch and run from White got the ball near midfield, then an 11-yard catch by Otton got the drive to the opposition 34. And only two plays later, the Bucs were in the end zone again, this time with Mayfield finding a wide-open Kameron Johnson for a 34-yard touchdown. A roughing the passer penalty gave the offense a closer shot at a two-point conversion, but White was stuffed from a yard out, keeping it a 20-13 game with 44 seconds left in the half.

It was Demarcus Robinson’s turn to make a big play for the 49er offense on its ensuing possession, as he caught a 31-yard pass from Jones. That would set up another Pineiro field goal, which made it a 20-16 game at halftime.

Out of the break, Mac Jones led the 49ers right down the field, doing so methodically to kill six and a half minutes before the drive faced any resistance. And that only came on an offensive pass interference penalty on Jauan Jennings, setting up a 1st & 20. That was just enough of a setback to help the Buccaneer defense buckle down and force a field goal try. But the 29-yarder from Pineiro still made it just a one-point game at 20-19 halfway through the third.

When the Bucs offense finally took the field for their first drive of the second half at the 7:21 mark, it did so without Emeka Egbuka, who was announced as doubtful to return due to a hamstring injury. Despite an injury that left Baker Mayfield without his top four receivers, the offense answered with a drive that had Raymond James Stadium rocking.

Bucs QB Baker Mayfield – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Mayfield escaped a surefire sack on 3rd & 14 to scramble for a 15-yard gain and a first down, then he unloaded a bomb of a throw to Tez Johnson, who made a fantastic catch for a 45-yard touchdown. With the PAT, Tampa Bay went up 27-10 late in the third.

The 49ers looked to be driving in response to Mayfield’s second touchdown pass of the day, but a well-timed Lavonte David blitz led to another momentum-changing third-down sack, forcing a punt.

From there, Mayfield and the offense went to work on the clock. A 36-yard catch and run by Sterling Shepard got the ball near midfield and soon after, it looked like the home team might put the game away with a field goal. Only Chase McLaughlin’s kick went wide, keeping it an eight-point game.

But after San Francisco got into Buccaneer territory on the ensuing possession, Jamel Dean intercepted Jones on a fourth down to get the ball back. And with a 45-yard field goal by McLaughlin with 1:55 to go, Tampa Bay went up two scores at 30-19, all but ensuring a fifth victory in six games to start the season.

Just for good measure, Yaya Diaby recorded his second sack of Jones on the next drive to ehlp the defense put the game away with a bang. After one final fourth-down stop, the Bucs ran out the clock on a 30-19 win.

Even without Mike Evans, Chris Godwin Jr., Bucky Irving and then Emeka Egbuka for a half, Baker Mayfield continued to add to the MVP resume he’s been building early on this season. He finished the day 17-of-23 for 256 yards and two touchdowns, and his 15-yard scramble on a key 3rd & 14 in the third quarter was perhaps the moment of the game.

Both Kameron Johnson and Tez Johnson stepped up in a big way for the Tampa Bay offense, with the former catching all four of his targets for 64 yards and a touchdown while the latter caught a 45-yard touchdown.

Rachaad White once again stepped up in Irving’s absence, rushing for 65 yards and a touchdown while catching three passes for 21 yards.

Bucs OLB Yaya Diaby – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Tampa Bay’s defense allowed Mac Jones to complete 27 of his 39 passes for 347 yards, but both Kindle Vildor and Jamel Dean intercepted him while the group as a whole got to him for six sacks. Yaya Diaby led the way with two, while Dean and Lavonte David added one each. Vita Vea and Elijah Roberts split another, while Haason Reddick and C.J. Brewer split one as well.

The Bucs (5-1) will now hit the road again to take on the Detroit Lions (4-1) on Monday Night Football. Kickoff for that Week 7 game on Oct. 20 is set for 7:00 p.m.