Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. San Francisco 49ers, 4:25 p.m. ET on Sunday, FOX
The Buccaneers win if…
The defense can effectively keep Colin Kaepernick in the pocket.
Though the results have been muddied, we all understand what the Tampa Bay offense can offer on any given weekend. They won’t consistently mow down opposing defenses, but their capability to put up points is unquestioned. Here, the game revolves around what Mike Smith can implement into the game plan during the week to keep Kaepernick in a position where he can’t beat the Bucs – in the pocket. Throughout his career, both in college and the NFL, there have been few instances in which Kaep torches secondaries through the air with a flashy passing attack. If Tampa puts their efforts on spying the quarterback and being smart with pass rush, the secondary won’t give up the game.
The 49ers win if…
Their defense performs at an elite level against the pass.
The critics have and will continue to spotlight on the quarterback play in San Francisco as the root of the team’s glaring overall problem. And while that might be fair, the defense and their play shouldn’t be let off the hook despite flashy storylines on the other side of the football. The 49ers defensive group has been poor – there’s no other way to put it. If they don’t shape up soon, jobs aren’t going to be kept through the year. With the offense’s woes, the only way San Francisco eeks out a win here will be through a major step forward on their most troubled side of the football.
Buccaneers travel to San Francisco and knock off 49ers, 26-20.