TAMPA, FL – The Tampa Bay Buccaneers once again lost in the final seconds after a last-minute drive to tie the game, falling 23-20 to the San Francisco 49ers.
Tampa Bay entered the game looking to end a three-game losing streak following a devastating overtime loss to the Kansas City Chiefs last Monday in Kansas City.
The message for the week from Bucs head coach Todd Bowles was to “not get used to losing.” But with Baker Mayfield and the Bucs fielding a relentless, “never say die” offense—one of the most productive in the NFL—another devastating loss was the last thing they needed.
San Francisco arrived in Tampa on Sunday with the return of a key player who had been missing all season: Christian McCaffrey.
McCaffrey returned to the field after a half-season-long leg injury and played 89% of the offensive snaps, according to CBS Sports’ Dave Richard. He churned out 39 rushing yards on 13 carries and caught six of his seven targets for 68 yards.
The 49ers’ offensive line struggled at times against Tampa Bay’s defensive front, leading to several runs where McCaffrey had little room to work with. Still, quarterback Brock Purdy led the 49ers to victory, throwing for 353 yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions while navigating the Bucs’ aggressive blitzes.
For the second time in seven days, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers tied a game against a favored opponent in the final minute of regulation, only to see their offense lose control after its last score.
Mayfield completed 18 of 29 passes for 116 yards, one touchdown, and no interceptions, connecting five times with tight end Cade Otton and nine times with the running back duo of Rachaad White and Bucky Irving. Irving ended the game with 73 yards on 13 carries, averaging 5.3 yards per attempt.
Jake Moody’s 44-yard field goal as time expired sealed a 23-20 victory for the 49ers at Raymond James Stadium. Moody missed three field goals on the game, but made the one that counted the most.
“We can’t play hard and then not play smart at the end,” said Head Coach Todd Bowles. “We’ve got to play smarter football. There’s nothing wrong with how hard we’re playing and how tough we’re playing, but we’ve got to finish games. We’re making too many mistakes at the end.”
The loss marked the Buccaneers’ fourth consecutive defeat, dropping their record to 4-6 after a 4-2 start and losing five of the last six games.
Mayfield made some miraculous plays, including stiff-arming Nick Bosa with his left arm while completing a pass with his right. Later, he twisted out of a San Francisco lineman’s grasp, only to have his facemask grabbed by another defender, yet still managed to make a completion.
Tampa has shown rare resilience this season, though it has come up short in four straight games.
“We’ve got to get healthy,” Mayfield said. “Take the week, get healthy, get your mind ready to make this stretch. We’re going to need everything we possibly have down the road. One day at a time in practice, and then games. We’ve just got to put it together. We keep saying we’re ‘that close,’ but it’s got to be the message. You have to believe in it, and then we’ve just got to go execute. We’ve got the group. The fight and what we’re doing at the end of games—the effort is never a question. Now let’s go execute. Just plain and simple: do your job, and we can turn this thing around quickly.”
The loss was painful for the Buccaneers in more ways than one. All-Pro left tackle Tristan Wirfs suffered a knee injury in the second quarter and did not return. Later, the Bucs’ defense, already struggling to contain Brock Purdy and the 49ers’ offense, saw cornerback Zyon McCollum and outside linebacker Chris Braswell leave the game with injuries.
The Buccaneers will now use their bye week to recover before returning to action in Week 12 against the New York Giants.
