Studs and Duds: 49ers had too many duds to overcome Fred Warner’s injury, Baker Mayfield
The final number says - Close enough competition right Wrong The ers turned in their worst performance of the season on Sunday in Tampa Bay to post their second loss of the season Sure the offense racked up yardage but the Niners were fooled on critical plays on offense and were gashed on defense So while the scoreline looked close for most of of the contest it never really felt close between these two teams In a battle for NFC supremacy Tampa Bay exerted its dominance while the Niners season which looked so promising last Thursday appears to be in total flux following the likely season-ending injury to Fred Warner and San Francisco s floundering performance STUDS San Francisco ers kicker Eddy Pineiro kicks a field goal against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the first half of an NFL football challenge in Tampa Fla Sunday Oct AP Photo Jason Behnken Related Articles Kurtenbach Three predictions I got wrong about the first-place ers ers win over Rams show Shanahan s machine has NFL playoffs in future Studs and Duds Kyle Shanahan second-stringers lead hobbled ers to improbable win over Rams ers WR Skyy Moore was once a third baseman That could prove handy against the Rams Kurtenbach The ers needed their Million Man vs the Jaguars but he didn t show Eddy Pi eiro K We really wasted a lot of time with Jake Moody huh Pi eiro has been fantastic since arriving in Week Kendrick Bourne WR Five catches for yards Bourne was the organization s offensive engine on Sunday What a sentence that is Mac Jones QB Hardly perfect one pick was on him but the under-siege Jones gave the Niners a chance in this competition with passing yards Jake Tonges TE We have to fill out this category Tonges had receiving yards DUDS San Francisco ers running back Christian McCaffrey runs against Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive tackle Vita Vea during the first half of an NFL football encounter in Tampa Fla Sunday Oct AP Photo Chris O'Meara Related Articles Bucs ers Warner s cart-off injury Jones interceptions doom Niners Fred Warner carted off with ankle injury early in ers competition at Buccaneers ers-Buccaneers Malik Mustapha returns to Niners proceeding roster How to watch the ers vs the Buccaneers on Sunday ers keys to winning at Tampa Bay improving to - on road Jordan Elliott DT He might still be in backwards motion from that opening touchdown run by the Buccaneers Any competent center has exposed Elliott this season I m to the point where it s not even worth including him on these lists anymore Kendrick Bourne WR Yes again You have to go for yards to make up for all the airheaded stuff Bourne does He doesn t know the plays he doesn t read the defense on choice routes and he misses blocks he s a liability until the ball is in his hands Christian McCaffrey RB I don t see the burst Do you see it Sure he had yards from scrimmage but the ers offensive line genuinely did various decent run blocking in this championship particularly early McCaffrey went for yards per rush Jauan Jennings WR Fighting with the head coach and offensive play caller on the sideline as the Niners try to drive down the field at the end of the first half Read the room dude No Jennings had not been targeted to that point but it s not as if the Niners offense wasn t moving the ball Shouldn t that be the goal Jennings followed up his tantrum with a false start on the first play of the second half and an offensive pass interference flag later on the drive Austen Pleasants OT Didn t take a snap outside of special teams but he did step on Pi eiro s foot after the kicker s -yard field goal at the end of the first half Not great Deommodore Lenoir CB He had a cool suplex of Cade Otton but don t let that distract you Not only was Lenoir attacked repeatedly in coverage but he also did not step up into the vacancy left by Warner s injury He s the supposed star of this defense now and he has to take a more vocal role in communicating on the back end Yet he ended up in busted coverage again and again It wasn t entirely his mistakes that made passing so easy against the Niners on Sunday but why is he making the same mistakes as the Niners rookies Dom Puni and Connor Colby OG Run over again and again on Sunday I know both are dealing with injuries and facing Vita Vea is downright cruel but the ers are the worst in the NFL at rushing the ball and Sunday might have been their worst run challenge yet Puni s false start on a fourth-and-a-half-yard with to play in the fourth quarter was a backbreaker Luke Farrell TE What is it he does here The blocking tight end couldn t stop a secondary athlete heads up off the edge resulting in a strip fumble of Jones on the Niners fourth possession of the tournament Luckily he was so disengaged that he was able to pick the ball up George Kittle can t come back soon enough
