Brock Purdy will aim to do what no rookie quarterback has ever done in Week 14 and defeat Tom Brady in a key NFC clash between the 49ers and the Buccaneers.
Buy 49ers TicketsThe Niners are riding a five-game win streak and top the NFC West at 8-4, but they can ill-afford any slip-ups in the division race with the Seahawks hot on their tail ahead of a primetime meeting between the two rivals.
As such, there is significant pressure on Purdy, the final pick in the 2022 draft, and the Niners to maintain their recent run and take another big step towards securing a place in the postseason.
Here examine three key matchups that could decide whether San Francisco stays hot at what is expected to be a damp Levi’s Stadium.
Nick Bosa vs. Josh Wells
It remains unclear whether Bosa will be available after missing the entire week of practice with a hamstring injury.
There may be an element of the 49ers being careful with Bosa, knowing they face the Seahawks on a short week on Thursday following their meeting with the Bucs but, if the NFL’s sack leader can go, he could take advantage of another mismatch against a backup right tackle.
With Tristan Wirfs, arguably the best right tackle in football, listed as doubtful because of an ankle injury, Bosa would get the chance to go against backup Josh Wells.
The drop off from Wirfs to Wells is stark and, should Bosa be deemed healthy to play and capitalize on his clear edge in that battle, he could make it an extremely long day for Tom Brady and ensure the Tampa Bay offense is not in position to keep up with that of San Francisco regardless of how well Purdy performs.
49ers' offense weapons vs. Sean Murphy-Bunting
Perhaps just as significant as the injury to Wirfs are the prospective absences of Buccaneers safeties Mike Edwards and Antoine Winfield Jr, who are also listed as doubtful.
Of the two, Winfield would be a bigger miss. His versatility is a massive asset to the Tampa Bay defense, which consistently deploys him in pass coverage in the slot.
Winfield’s ability to cover from the slot is key for the Bucs during an era of football where the bigger slot receiver has been popularized.
The former second-round pick can match up with tight ends and other pass-catchers from that position and provide thump against the run.
With him removed from the equation, there may be extra onus on starting nickel Sean Murphy-Bunting to deliver against a 49er offense that has shown a greater propensity to spread things out in 2022.
Tight end George Kittle, running back Christian McCaffrey and wideouts Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk will all see time in the slot, as will third-down and contested-catch specialist Jauan Jennings. If that group can make Winfield’s absence tell, it will set San Francisco up for a productive day passing the ball.
Kyle Shanahan & Brock Purdy vs. Todd Bowles
Purdy was undoubtedly impressive in helping the 49ers overcome the Dolphins last week, but a matchup with a Tampa Bay defense ranked eighth in the NFL by Football Outsiders DVOA promises to be a much sterner test of his credentials as a quarterback who could lead San Francisco deep into the playoffs.
Todd Bowles’ defense will throw a plethora of different looks at Purdy and the challenge for him will be to navigate those minefields with the same success he enjoyed attacking against the Dolphins’ heavy pressure approach.
For Shanahan, he will obviously need to find a way to combat what Bowles throws at his quarterback to put the rookie in the best spot to succeed.
It will be interesting to see what method Shanahan takes. Will he put the training wheels back on and revert to a gameplan dominated by play-action in a game where the weather may dictate an attack built around the ground game, or will he continue to show strong faith in Purdy in his first start and spread the Bucs out?
Whichever plan he settles on, it is imperative Shanahan and Purdy find an avenue towards joy on offense against a defense better-equipped to emphasize the latter’s weaknesses.
