BOX SCORE

TAMPA, Fla. – The 49ers started the second half of their season looking the same as they did in the first eight games of the season.

Even with some of their key offensive players back in action, the 49ers’ struggles continued in the red zone. The defense had trouble coming up with the big stop.

And again, the special teams were terrible – so terrible, in fact, that Deebo had seen Samuel clearly enough.

Kicker Jake Moody had a tough day, but he made a 44-yard field goal attempt as time expired for a 23-20 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday in a wild victory to open the second half of the 49ers’ season.

JAKE MOODY CALLED GAME pic.twitter.com/Z1ndyK89Zv

— 49ers on NBCS (@NBCS49ers) November 10, 2024

Quarterback Brock Purdy completed 25 of 36 attempts for 353 yards and two touchdowns to help lead the 49ers to victory.

Despite all their troubles, the 49ers held on to a lead late in the game before allowing the Bucs to take the lead late.

Purdy scrambled around and bought enough time to find George Kittle in the back left corner of the end zone for an 11-yard touchdown that gave the 49ers a 20-17 lead with 7:02 remaining in regulation.

But then it also got very ugly.

Moody missed his third field goal of the game and Deebo Samuel expressed his displeasure. Then Samuel and long-snapper Taybor Pepper got into a brief, heated altercation on the sideline.

Despite all the 49ers’ ups and downs, this was the first time the team showed outward signs that it had reached a boiling point.

After the tense interior moment, the 49ers defense gave in with consecutive penalties against Fred Warner, Maliek Collins and Evan Anderson, allowing the Buccaneers to drive deep into 49ers territory for the tying goal with 41 seconds left.

Then, after five plays, the 49ers moved upfield 39 yards to set up Moody’s redemption kick.

Here are three takeaways from the 49ers’ Week 10 matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers:

McCaffrey is back… like it’s 2023

The 49ers’ sense of desperation was visible. There was no saving Christian McCaffrey for later.

McCaffrey was activated from the injured reserve list on Saturday. A day later, the 49ers used McCaffrey as if he had been on the field all season.

McCaffrey was the 2023 NFL Offensive Player of the Year. He played 81 percent of the 49ers’ offensive snaps. He accounted for 1,459 yards and 14 touchdowns rushing, while he had 564 yards and seven touchdowns receiving.

McCaffrey started in his season debut and played the first eleven offensive snaps of the game for the 49ers before backup Jordan Mason took the field.

After the 49ers’ first three possessions, the 49ers had 25 offensive plays and McCaffrey touched the ball ten times. He had seven rushing attempts for 21 yards and three receptions for 23 yards. He finished with 39 yards on 13 carries.

McCaffrey missed the first eight games of the season with Achilles tendonitis in both legs. On Friday, before the 49ers left on their trip, McCaffrey said he felt great.

He underwent unspecified treatment in Germany for the condition in late September.

“When you’re on IR and you’re hurt, you do everything you can to get back, so I feel good right now and that’s all that matters,” McCaffrey said Friday.

The 49ers enter the game with a 4-4 record and won’t save McCaffrey for later in the season. It was clear that the 49ers felt like they had to do everything possible to win this game.

More special teams meltdowns

The 49ers have been a disaster on special teams this season, and Sunday was more of the same.

The 49ers squandered an opportunity to score points late in the first half when Moody missed a 49-yard field goal attempt. He also missed from 50 and 44 yards in the fourth quarter.

An even bigger mistake occurred early in the second half and led directly to the Buccaneers’ first touchdown of the game.

The 49ers defense held down Tampa Bay on the first series of the third quarter. But the 49ers offense didn’t even have a chance to get on the field.

Buccaneers shooter Tavierre Thomas blocked Darrell Luter into his teammate, punt returner Jacob Cowing. Tampa Bay’s Anthony Nelson recovered the muffed punt at the 49ers’ 21-yard line. Four plays later, Baker Mayfield hit running back Rachaad White on a 9-yard touchdown pass to make it a 10-10 game.

The first eight games of the season for the 49ers were marked by special teams miscues that contributed heavily to multiple losses.

Luter was involved in a similar play that also proved pivotal in the 49ers’ Super Bowl loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. A kick hit Luter’s leg and Ray-Ray McCloud failed to cover the ball. That turnover led to the only regulation in Kansas City.

Pearsall pierces the end zone for the first time

Rookie wide receiver Ricky Pearsall is feeling more and more comfortable on offense, and it showed on Sunday.

Pearsall made his first big play in the NFL in the first quarter when he caught a pass from Brock Purdy behind linebackers Lavonte David and JJ Russell, showing off his 4.41 speed.

Matched up against Buccaneers safety Antoine Winfield Jr., Pearsall stuttered and twisted his way into the front left corner of the end zone.

Pearsall got the ball across the goal line for his first career touchdown, giving the 49ers a 7–0 lead in the first quarter.

FIRST CAREER TD FOR PEARSALL 🫡 pic.twitter.com/BTBWEJMi0b

— 49ers on NBCS (@NBCS49ers) November 10, 2024

The 49ers selected Pearsall with the No. 31 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. But his NFL debut was postponed when he suffered a gunshot wound to the chest on August 31. He was placed on the non-football injury list and missed the first six games of the season.

Pearsall’s continued development and contributions will be important with wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk out for the season with a torn ACL.

Pearsall was in the starting lineup on Sunday, when the 49ers opened with three wide receivers. He joined Deebo Samuel and Jauan Jennings in the starting lineup against Tampa Bay.

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