49ers-Bucs preview: Could Mac Jones outduel Baker Mayfield, take Brock Purdy’s job?
Yahoo Sports host Andrew Siciliano, senior NFL writer Frank Schwab and senior betting analyst Ben Fawkes preview Sunday's throwdown of 4-1 teams in Tampa Bay. Check out the full conversation on "Inside Coverage" - and subscribe on Apple Podcasts , Spotify , YouTube or wherever you listen.
Video Transcript
The 4-1 San Francisco 49ers are on the road against the 4-1 Tampa Bay Buccaneers in this game in Tampa.
With Nan, Romo, and Tracy Wolfson down on the sideline.
Both of these teams, guys, have been winning nail biters.
The Bucks have won all four of their games by three or fewer points.
The Niners have also won four all four of their games by five or fewer points, and the Niners are doing it stunningly with Robert Sala back in the building but with like no sacks and with no turnovers.
They've yet to pick off a pass, and they have only six sacks.
Which is tied for the 3rd fewest in the NFL, and they're working Christian McCaffrey to death.
He's averaging 26 touches a game.
He is on pace, and I know it's only five weeks.
He is on pace for 176 targets in the pass game.
Think about that.
176 targets.
In the pass game, Pierce is out, it looks like, Jennings, I mean, they're banged up.
Brandon Aiyuk still not coming back.
So it's like the Kendrick Bourne show.
He had 10 passes when last we saw the 49ers on a Thursday night with a nail-biting overtime win in Los Angeles.
And Mac Jones, McCorkle Jones, everybody is 3-0 as a starter.
And I am not trying to create a quarterback controversy, but if McCorkle Jones former child model in the state of Florida goes into Florida and beats America's MVP, the man who right now can do no wrong, Baker Mayfield.
He could do no wrong at all.
If he does that.
Then, ladies and gentlemen, we, we, Frank are striking up the Mac Jones ain't giving that job back band.
Let's, let's pump the brakes a little bit here.
He played great against the Rams.
I'm not sure exactly that I'm replacing my $255 million quarterback with him.
And I'm not sure he wins this game either.
And it's not necessarily because of the offense, which is still really banged up.
Like you said, the Kendrick Bourne show probably, unless Juan Jennings comes back.
But it's a defense, it is.
Uh, since Dick Bosa went out, and he's done for the year.
Like you said, no pressure on a quarterback, no big plays.
Last week, yeah, the Rams lost, but Matthew Stafford had 389 yards passing.
And he was just doing whatever he wanted downfield.
And now you come in to face the Bucks.
Baker Mayfield is once again playing out of his mind.
Yes, he is an MVP candidate because, as I've talked about, the Buccaneers can moonwalk their way back into that number one seed.
He will get MVP votes, period.
like that's going to happen, especially when you have 10 touchdowns, and 1 interception.
I, I, I like the Buccaneers in this game and I was really surprised, honestly, Ben, that the spread was not over a field goal.
I, I, I think there is a lot of respect for the 49ers, who are still dealing with a lot of injuries, who are still dealing with, uh, you know, the fact that they are not blowing out teams, and that their defenses are very good.
I, I just do not trust this 49ers team that much right now.
I respect what they have done completely.
I think Kyle Shanahan is coach of the year so far, but I, I, I just think the Buccaneers will win this game.
I, I know the Buccaneers do not win games by more than 3 points this season.
Do not get me wrong, but still, I was surprised to see they were only minus 3, 2.5, I think, earlier in the week.
You can speak to that.
But yeah, Buccaneers for me all day here because I just, I'm not on the Max Jones bandwagon quite yet.
yeah, and to your point, this did open at 2.5, uh, pushed up to 3 with some sharp action at, at a couple different books.
uh, two teams I'm not sure that, you know, the advanced analytics love yet, right?
So the, the 49ers, and again, there are a lot of things besides DVOA.
It's just, I think, a good metric to use, uh, as one thing to compare two teams in one matchup.
The 49ers are 16th in DVOA, but remember the Rams, uh, last week outgained them 7.1 yards per play to 4.9.
So there were turnovers in there.
There are other things, to your point, with the defense, that did not play as well.
uh, and the Bucks are 18th in DVOA despite that 4 and one record.
