Big passing day from Brock Purdy leads 49ers to 27-14 win over Buccaneers

A little over a year after making his first NFL start at Levi's Stadium in a game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on December 11, 2022, 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy had the chance to face them again on Sunday and produced a similar result to his first start while putting on one of his best performances as a pro.

After leading the 49ers to a 31-7 win over the Buccaneers in 2022, Purdy went 21-for-25 and threw for 333 yards, three touchdowns and zero interceptions in a 27-14 win on Sunday, with a perfect passer rating of 158.3. Five of those passes went to wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk, who finished with 156 yards and one touchdown.

Quarterback Baker Mayfield threw for 246 yards on 29-of-46 passing with one touchdown and one interception in a losing effort.

First Half

The 49ers started the game with possession and got a 24-yard completion to tight end George Kittle before being forced to punt to the Buccaneers after five plays. A 15-yard fair catch interference penalty on 49ers special teams ace George Odum put the Buccaneers in solid starting field position at their own 37-yard line, but the 49ers rose to the occasion on defense by holding the Buccaneers to a three-and-out.

The second possession of the game turned out to be a workman-like scoring drive for the 49ers, who moved 80 yards in 12 plays to take a 7-0 lead on a 4-yard touchdown pass from Purdy to running back Christian McCaffrey. McCaffrey got six total touches on the drive and was wide open on its final play to put the game's first touchdown on the board.

Mayfield and the Buccaneers put together a nine-play, 52-yard drive on the next possession before the 49ers defense came up with the first takeaway of the day. On a 1st-and-5 from the 49ers' 33-yard line, Mayfield was chased down by defensive end Nick Bosa and linebacker Fred Warner, who forced a fumble that was recovered by defensive end Clelin Ferrell at the 35-yard line. The 49ers turned the fumble into a 9-play, 46-yard drive that ended with a 37-yard field goal from Jake Moody for a 10-0 lead.

The Buccaneers answered the field goal with their first scoring drive of the afternoon, a 10-play, 75-yard drive that culminated with a 1-yard touchdown pass from Mayfield to wide receiver Mike Evans. Mayfield overcame a 2nd-and-19 after a sack earlier in the drive when he connected with tight end Cade Otton for 27 yards to the 49ers' 18-yard line, then after a 17-yard run from wide receiver Deven Thompkins, Mayfield found Evans for his first catch of the day and his seventh touchdown of the season.

1:48 remained on the clock after the touchdown, which proved to be enough time for the 49ers to add one more field goal before the half. After taking over at the 49ers' 29-yard line following the kickoff, Purdy found Aiyuk for a 37-yard gain on the first play of the drive, then the 49ers moved to the Buccaneers' 10-yard line with less than 30 seconds to play. Moody connected from 28 yards out to give the 49ers a 13-7 lead after the offense fell short on a 3rd-and-3, then the Buccaneers ran out the clock on the next possession to take the game into halftime.

The 49ers finished the half with a total yardage edge of 201 to 115. Purdy finished the half with 167 yards and one touchdown on 14-of-17 passing, while Mayfield put up 80 yards and one touchdown on 8-of-10 passing.

Second Half

The Buccaneers began the second half with possession at their own 23-yard line and moved to their own 42-yard line before Jake Camarda booted a 56-yard punt that pinned the 49ers at their own 2. But the long field proved to be no problem for the 49ers, who needed just three plays to find the end zone and extend their lead. After a short run from McCaffrey on first down and a 21-yard completion to kittle on second down, Purdy fired a deep ball downfield to Aiyuk, who was left all alone after cornerback Jamel Dean's attempt to make a play on the ball fell short. Aiyuk hauled in the pass and cruised to the end zone for a 76-yard touchdown and a 20-7 lead.

The 49ers forced a punt on the next possession, then began to pull away from the Buccaneers with a 9-play, 79-yard drive that ended with a touchdown pass to George Kittle to extend the lead to 27-7. A 40-yard completion to a wide open Deebo Samuel moved the 49ers to the red zone, then five plays later Purdy found Kittle from three yards out for his third touchdown pass of the day.

The Buccaneers responded to the touchdown in a hurry, putting together a five-play, 75-yard drive that ended in a touchdown run from Rachaad White to cut the lead to 27-14. A 41-yard completion from Mayfield to wide receiver Rakim Jarrett set the Buccaneers up at the 49ers' 23-yard line, then after a pass interference penalty on Warner put the ball on the 1-yard line, White ran in to keep the Buccaneers in the game with just over 14 minutes left in the fourth quarter.

The Buccaneers attempted to continue their comeback the rest of the way, but the 49ers held firm when it mattered. After holding the 49ers to a three-and-out after their touchdown, the Buccaneers drove 68 yards in 14 plays and faced a 2nd-and-4 at the 49ers' 12-yard line with just under seven minutes remaining. But after two incompletions, the Buccaneers faced a fourth down when Mayfield threw a pass towards Evans in the end zone, where it was broken up by rookie Ji'Ayir Brown, who was in the game due to injuries to other defensive backs.

The 49ers were held once again to a three-and-out from there, then the Buccaneers took over at the 49ers' 13-yard line after a 51-yard punt return by Thompkins. But three plays later, Brown stepped up once again, this time with an interception in the end zone with just over three minutes to play.

Brown's interception more or less shut the door on the Buccaneers, who had one more possession the rest of the way but turned the ball over on downs. The 49ers ran out the clock to end the game and move to 7-3 on the season. The Buccaneers fell to 4-6 with the loss.

Game Notes: With his fourth reception of the day, McCaffrey set an NFL record for most receptions through his first seven seasons (483). The former record of 482 was held by 49ers legend Roger Craig... The 76-yard touchdown pass to Aiyuk was the longest in the NFL this season up to that point... Dean was carted off the field after falling to the turf while attempting to break up the 76-yard touchdown... Safety Talanoa Hufanga left the game with an injury for the 49ers... The 49ers lead the all-time series against the Buccaneers 20-7... Next up for the 49ers is a Thanksgiving night game in Seattle against the Seahawks (8:20 p.m. ET/5:20 p.m. PT, NBC), who fell to 6-4 on the season Sunday with a 17-16 loss to the Rams. The Buccaneers will be on the road again next Sunday for a 1 p.m. ET kickoff against the Indianapolis Colts.

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