SANTA CLARA, Calif. — The San Francisco 49ers faced numerous challenges during their match against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, grappling with a range of special teams mistakes, significant defensive penalties, and several missed chances to distance themselves from their opponents early in the game.
However, in a tense finale, quarterback Brock Purdy stepped up, ultimately leading the 49ers to a 23-20 victory, marking a thrilling fourth-quarter comeback.
The 49ers, now with a record of 5-4, found themselves in trouble as they attempted to relinquish what was once a commanding 10-0 lead, which deteriorated into a 13-10 disadvantage heading into the fourth quarter. Purdy reflected on the difficulty of their situation, stating, “Obviously it’s not our favorite to be in that kind of position, but that’s the NFL; we’re going to be playing games like this.”
Under Purdy’s leadership, the 49ers had only pulled off two successful fourth-quarter comebacks prior to this game, including a Week 17 win against the Las Vegas Raiders last year and a playoff victory over the Green Bay Packers.
In the critical moments of the game, Purdy made two crucial passes that fueled a touchdown drive. He deftly connected with Christian McCaffrey on a 30-yard throw under duress before extending the play to find George Kittle for an 11-yard touchdown, which shifted the score to 20-17.
Despite a missed opportunity from kicker Jake Moody to extend their lead, San Francisco’s defense faltered with four penalties for 39 yards while Tampa Bay was attempting to equalize. Nevertheless, Purdy managed to rally the team, orchestrating a 39-yard drive that culminated in Moody’s game-winning 44-yard field goal on the final play of the game. In the fourth quarter alone, Purdy completed 10 of his 14 passes for 160 yards and one touchdown, recording one of the highest yardage totals by a 49ers quarterback in a fourth-quarter win since 1991.
Coach Kyle Shanahan acknowledged Purdy’s mixed performance, noting, “He did miss a few throws in the first half, just being a little bit off and cost us a couple ones. But the way he came back in the second half was huge.”
On the defensive side, the 49ers showed strong pass defense, limiting the Buccaneers to just 105 net passing yards. This impressive statistic was even more notable considering they were without top cornerback Charvarius Ward, who missed the game due to a personal tragedy. Rookie Renardo Green stepped up in his absence, helping to keep Tampa Bay’s offense at bay.
On the downside, there were tensions on the sideline when wide receiver Deebo Samuel was seen in a heated exchange with long snapper Taybor Pepper regarding Moody’s missed field goals, which had drawn attention from the cameras. After the game, all parties were quick to downplay the incident; however, Shanahan confirmed he addressed the matter with the team, stating, “We squashed it and we’re good.”
On a positive note, rookie receiver Ricky Pearsall made his presence felt, catching a 46-yard touchdown to score his first-ever touchdown and contributing significantly on the game-winning drive with two additional catches. Conversely, the special teams unit continued to struggle, highlighted by Jacob Cowing’s fumbled punt that led to a Tampa Bay touchdown and Moody’s three missed field goals.
Injury updates indicated that Green is day-to-day due to a toe injury sustained late in the game, while Kittle and punter Mitch Wishnowsky are set to undergo evaluations. Shanahan also announced that the team will not be opening the practice window for linebacker Dre Greenlaw, who is dealing with an Achilles tendon injury.
A key number to note is 16 — prior to Sunday’s win, the 49ers had lost 16 consecutive games in regular season and playoffs when the turnover margin was against them. This marks a significant change for the team, as they secured victory despite committing more turnovers than their opponents for the first time since the beginning of the 2021 season against Detroit.
Next up, San Francisco will host the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday as they seek to extend their winning streak against their divisional rivals.