Bucs Run D Could Spell Trouble for 49ers this Sunday at Levi's
Brock Purdy made his first NFL start against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 14 of the 2022 season. Purdy dominated the Bucs defense that day. The 49ers scored 35 points in barely more than three quarters. This week, the Tampa Bay defense will look very different. All-world defensive tackle Vita Vea barely played last year. Elite free safety Antoine Winfield Jr. was out, as was the Bucs' other starting safety, along with cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting. This week will be very different, especially since the Bucs run defense has allowed the third-fewest rushing yards in 2023. The 49ers' system is run-first. As good as Purdy is, he and Kyle Shanahan need to run the ball to make play-action effective. The 49ers are not built to be a drop-back passing team.
In 2023, the Bucs also gifted the 49ers three turnovers, with two interceptions in addition to a lost fumble. In 2023, they are averaging fewer than one interception per game. On offense, they have all-world receiver Mike Evans, who is the only NFL receiver to ever have nine consecutive 1,000-yard seasons. He's well on his way to his tenth, with 737 yards already in 2023. Chris Godwin is a lot like Deebo Samuel, just without the runs. Rachaad White is an outstanding second-year running back who had 1,006 rushing yards, 15 rushing touchdowns, and 456 receiving yards with a receiving touchdown. The 49ers could have drafted star left tackle Tristan Wirfs at No. 13 overall in the 2020 draft. Instead, they traded back one spot and selected the often-injured and underwhelming defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw. Baker Mayfield is not a very good quarterback, but he has been known to catch fire from time to time.
The 49ers should win on Sunday, but it probably won't be as easy as many people think. I'll say 49ers 24 - Bucs 17. I don't believe that the 49ers will cover the 13.5-point spread.
