Five 49ers to watch in vital Week 10 game vs. Buccaneers

Five 49ers to watch in vital Week 10 game vs. Buccaneers originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The 49ers have experienced delightful times in the second halves of their past three seasons, and they will need more of the same this year if they are going to return to the NFL playoffs.

It all starts on Sunday, as the 49ers take their 4-4 record on the road to face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium.

The 49ers have compiled a combined 23-4 record over the final nine games of the previous three seasons.

They enter the final half of the season a half-game behind the Arizona Cardinals (5-4) in the NFC West standings.

We summoned a blue-ribbon committee to come up with five 49ers to watch in this matchup against the Buccaneers, and here is the consensus:

Center Jake Brendel

The interior of the 49ers’ offensive line will face a major challenge on Sunday.

And Brendel will be in the middle of the action all day long when it comes to the team’s plan for coping with Buccaneers defensive tackle Vita Vea, an athletic and skilled 347-pounder.

“Vita Vea is one of a kind,” 49ers offensive line coach Chris Foerster said.

Vea registered 30 tackles, five sacks and eight tackles behind the line of scrimmage in eight games this season.

Brendel will help guards Aaron Banks and Dominick Puni deal with Vea, and he must also have the 49ers’ O-line on the same page in order to deal with the variety of blitzes that the Buccaneers will dial up under coach Todd Bowles.

Safety Ji’Ayir Brown

Rookie safety Malik Mustapha sustained a calf injury in practice late in the week, creating a little uncertainty for the 49ers’ defensive backfield heading into this game.

Brown serves as the last line of defense for the 49ers, who cannot afford the kind of breakdowns they experienced late in their Week 8 game against the Dallas Cowboys.

Tampa Bay quarterback Baker Mayfield leads the NFL with 23 touchdown passes, but he also will give the defense some opportunities to make plays. He has…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/five-49ers-watch-vital-week-214344343.html

Author : NBC Sports BayArea

Publish date : 2024-11-08 21:43:44

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