Jake Moody bounces back from miserable outing to give 49ers last-second 23-20 win over Buccaneers

Sunday afternoon's game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers was one that kicker Jake Moody will never forget -- for better and for worse.

Moody, who was playing in his first game in a month after being sidelined with a high ankle sprain, missed three of his first five field goal attempts against the Buccaneers on Sunday. But, after a back-and-forth fourth quarter, during which the 49ers fought off what would have been a devastating loss, Moody got one more chance as time expired and nailed it, sending the 49ers back to the Bay Area with the very definition of a hard-fought win.

49ers quartetrback Brock Purdy completed 25-of-36 passes for 353 yards in the win with two touchdowns. Quarterback Baker Mayfield went 18-of-29 for 116 yards and a touchdown in the loss.

First Half

The teams exchanged six-play drives that ended in punts to start the game, then the 49ers got on the board first with a 46-yard scoring strike from Purdy to wide receiver Ricky Pearsall. The 49ers got a break earlier in the drive when the Buccaneers were flagged for defensive holding on a third down, then on a 2nd-and-5 from the Buccaneers' 46-yard line, Purdy found Pearsall open near the 30-yard line, then Pearsall did the rest to deliver his first NFL touchdown and give the 49ers a 7-0 lead.

The Buccaneers were held to another punt on the next possession, then the 49ers put together a 14-play, 77-yard drive that ended with a 28-yard field goal from Moody for a 10-0 lead. The 49ers fell short of the end zone after having a first down at the 11-yard line but took over eight minutes off the clock with the drive, which stretched past the nine-minute mark in the second quarter.

The Buccaneers answered with a lengthy field goal drive of their own -- a 13-play, 58-yard drive that took over seven minutes off the clock and ended with a 30-yard field goal from Chase McLaughlin to cut the lead to 10-3 with 1:14 remaining. The 49ers then moved into Buccaneers' territory in a hurry due to a 30-yard completion to wide receiver Jauan Jennings, but they were forced to settle for 49-yard field goal attempt from Moody that sailed wide left, leaving the 49ers empty-handed with less than 30 seconds in the half.

The final possession of the half went nowhere for the Buccaneers, then the half came to a close after the 49ers took a knee on the final play. The 49ers finished the half with an edge of 200 to 101 in total yardage, with most of that advantage coming in the air. Purdy finished the half with 153 yards and one touchdown on 10-of-16 passing, while Mayfield completed 11-of-15 passes for 65 yards.

Second Half

It didn't take long for the Buccaneers to tie the game after the third quarter got underway. The 49ers held the Buccaneers to a three-and-out to start the half, but a muffed punt that was recovered by the Buccaneers at the 49ers' 21-yard line gave them new life with a short field. Four plays later, Mayfield connected with running back Rachaad White from nine yards out to tie the game at 10.

The 49ers responded with a steady 13-play drive that pushed the ball inside the Buccaneers' 10-yard line but once again fizzled in the red zone. A sack on Purdy for a 10-yard loss on a 2nd-and-Goal play from the 9-yard line halted the drive, then Moody connected with a 33-yard field goal to give the 49ers a 13-10 lead with 4:21 left in the third quarter.

The Buccaneers then delivered their best drive of the game to that point -- a 10-play, 70-yard drive that ended in a 12-yard touchdown run by running back Bucky Irving. Much of the drive consisted of short running and receiving gains from Rachaad White, then Irving put together three consecutive carries for 34 yards to finish the drive and give the Buccaneers a 17-13 early fourth quarter advantage.

Another opportunity went by the wayside on the next drive for the 49ers, who came up empty due to another misfire on special teams. A 33-yard completion from Purdy to tight end George Kittle put the 49ers in Buccaneers' territory to open the drive, but after failing to get another first down, the 49ers looked to Moody to attempt a field goal from 50 yards, which missed left and left the score at 17-13 with just under 12 minutes left in the game.

Things went the other direction for the 49ers on their next special opportunity, which came when return specialist Jacob Cowing delivered a 30-yard punt return after a Buccaneers three-and-out. After taking over at their own 36-yard line, the 49ers delivered a wild drive that featured a number of clutch plays from Purdy. After connecting on an 11-yard pass to Jennings to the 47-yard line, Purdy lofted a pass high in the air while under pressure that landed in the hands of running back Christian McCaffrey for a 30-yard gain to the 23-yard line.

Then, on a 2nd-and-10, Purdy kept a play alive by scrambling towards the sideline before drawing a 15-yard penalty for a late hit. Two plays later, Purdy extended a play once again before tossing a pass into the end zone to Kittle, who hauled it in for an 11-yard score and a 20-17 lead with seven minutes left in the game.

The defense then stepped up for the 49ers, who forced a three-and-out with the help of botched snap on second down and a third-down sack from defensive end Nick Bosa. The 49ers took over at their own 38-yard line and continued their momentum on offense when Purdy connected with Samuel for a 32-yard gain to the Buccaneers' 29-yard line. But after the drive stalled, the 49ers called on Moody from 44 yards out, and he missed wide right to leave the score at 20-17 with 3:09 remaining. Tensions flared on the 49ers' sideline after the kick when Samuel confronted Moody and long snapper Taybor Pepper, who was on the other end of a shove from Samuel.

The 49ers appeared to have the Buccaneers stopped on the next possession, but the Buccaneers survived with some Mayfield magic. On a 4th-and-7, Mayfield used a stiff arm to escape Bosa, then made a dazzling completion to White for an 8-yard gain and a first down.

The 49ers self-destructed on defense after that due to four penalties -- a holding call on cornerback Rock Ya-Sin, a face mask penalty on linebacker Fred Warner, a roughing the passer call on defensive tackle Maliek Collins, and an illegal use of hands call on defensive tackle Evan Anderson. The penalties helped set up a 1st-and-Goal at the 8-yard line with 59 seconds remaining, then the 49ers stiffened to hold the Buccaneers to a field goal attempt from McLaughlin, which was good from 26 yards to tie the game at 20 with 41 seconds remaining.

The 49ers took over at their own 35-yard line after an illegal formation penalty on the Buccaneers during the kickoff, then quickly moved into Buccaneers territory on a series of completions to Jennings and Pearsall. The 49ers used their final timeout at the Buccaneers' 39-yard line with 23 seconds remaining, then moved to the 26-yard line on another completion to Jennings. After spiking the ball with three seconds remining, the 49ers turned to Moody once more -- and this time he connected, giving the 49ers a 23-20 win on a 44-yard field goal as time expired.

The win sent the 49ers to 5-4 on the season while dropping the Buccaneers to 4-6.

Game Notes: The 49ers were 6.5-point favorites heading into the game... Christian McCaffrey made his season debut for the 49ers at running back Sunday after missing time due to Achilles tendonitis. McCaffrey ran for 39 yards on 13 carries and caught six passes for 68 yards... Wide receiver Jauan Jennings also returned to action after missing two games with a hip injury... The 49ers have now won four straight over the Buccaneers and six of the last eight games in the series. The 49ers hold a 21-7 overall record against the Buccaneers... Next up for the 49ers will be a home game against the Seattle Seahawks, which will kick off at 1:05 p.m. PT at Levi's Stadium next Sunday.