Restart of the CMC touchdown scoring streak
Running back Christian McCaffrey ended his 17-game touchdown scoring streak in Week 10 after failing to reach the end zone in Jacksonville. On Sunday, the seventh-year pro restarted the series with a four-yard receiving touchdown in the first quarter to give San Francisco the early lead. McCaffrey broke through the offensive line to get wide open on the right side and stroll into the end zone. He had 14 carries for 59 yards on the ground, in addition to his five catches for 25 yards and a touchdown through the air.
Takeaway trouble for Tampa Bay
The 49ers’ pass rush continued to be in full swing for the second week in a row, producing two sacks and a turnover in the first half. Linebacker Fred Warner and defensive lineman Nick Bosa scored on Tampa Bay’s second offensive possession. In the middle of their sack on Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield, Warner forced the ball loose and defensive lineman Clelin Ferrell came up with a fumble recovery. The 49ers hit a 37-yard field goal on the ensuing possession to take a 10-0 lead with 7:21 left in the second quarter.
The 49ers’ second sack came on the Buccaneers’ final offensive series of the first half. Defensive lineman Arik Armstead brought down Mayfield for a loss of eight yards, forcing Tampa Bay into a second-and-long situation. In the final minutes of the fourth quarter, rookie Ji’Ayir Brown intercepted Mayfield in the end zone on Tampa Bay’s second-to-last offensive series of the game.
“I can’t say enough about how Ji’Ayir played today and how prepared he is for his moment,” Warner said. “This is huge. Even though we’re ahead in the game, it shows how he worked and was ready for his opportunity to be down there in the red zone and make the plays that he made to help us get out there.”
The rookie kicker recorded his third straight perfect kicking day in Week 11. The third-round pick went 2-for-2 on 37-yard and 28-yard field goal attempts in the first half and hit all three of his PATs against the Buccaneers.
A new career best for Brock Purdy
Purdy surpassed his final career touchdown pass (66 yards), set in Week 10 against the Jacksonville Jaguars, with a 76-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk on the first offensive series of the third quarter. With time in his pocket, Purdy dropped a dime to No. 11, who was one-on-one with Buccaneers cornerback Jamel Dean. Aiyuk caught the pass near Tampa Bay’s 40-yard line and went untouched into the end zone.
Similar to the 49ers’ two-play, 75-yard scoring drive in the second half against the Jaguars, this three-play, 98-yard scoring drive got the 49ers’ offense going, which was then followed up again with a three-yard scoring drive. George Kittle scored in the back of the end zone. Purdy finished the day completing 21 of 25 passes for 333 yards, three touchdowns and a passer rating of 158.3, the highest possible mark.
“What an honor, but at the same time there are still some plays I would like to have back,” Purdy said when asked about the perfect passer rating. “I’m not entirely happy with that, but I thought it was a great game, with the guys around me, the coaching, the play instruction, all of that. That’s a testament to the team.”
Aiyuk finished Week 11 as Purdy’s top target, hauling in five catches for 156 yards per touchdown.
Safety Talanoa Hufanga suffered a knee injury midway through the third quarter of Sunday’s game. The injury did not appear to be contact-related and occurred during his attempt to stop a Buccaneers pass play near the right sideline. Hufanga was carted to the locker room and shortly thereafter eliminated from the competition. Head coach Kyle Shanahan indicated the third-year pro will undergo further evaluation Monday for a possible ACL injury.
Rookie Ji’Ayir Brown stepped in and played alongside Tashaun Gipson Sr. on the back end for the remainder of the game. In the fourth quarter, Tampa Bay’s fourth-down attempt resulted in a pass breakup, and on the Buccaneers’ next possession, he intercepted Mayfield in the end zone.
“I thought (Ji’Ayir) did a great job,” Shanahan said. “To lose a player like Huf in the game, and for him to come in and make it big, you have to make two big plays to make it high… it’s so hard not to get a private eye. For him to not get the private investigator, the guy, and come back, and from what I saw, it looked like he ruined it. That was one hell of a game.”