(By Daisy Barringer)
The (9-4) 49ers play the (4-9) Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday. A game the Niners should easily win, but a game that scares me because of just that. We call it a potential “trap game.” A game we have every reason to dominate, but because of that, just might find ourselves losing.
Let’s a take a look at how we stack up.
The Good
The 49ers are the better team without a doubt. We’re on a three-game winning streak and coming off a huge victory against Seattle.
The Niners D. Over the past six games, the 49ers defense has allowed an average of 13 points. Tampa Bay is going to have to score more than that if they want to beat us. TB struggles against good defenses. I expect them to do the same against the Niners.
The Niners have showed in recent games they can run AND pass the ball. I feel confident for the first time in a while that if Tampa Bay somehow manages to stop us on the ground, we can get it done in the air. And vice versa. Yes, Tampa Bay has some great defensive players, but I think the Niners are gelling and can make this happen. I think TB will be able to do one or the other, not both.
The Bad
Yes, the Bucs are only 4-9, but keep in mind they started 0-8. Which means they’ve improved. And probably have something to prove even though they’re definitely not playoff contenders.
Tampa Bay’s defense is 12th in the NFL in yards allowed per game. Anquan Boldin will likely be covered by CB Darrell Revis and even though Revis isn’t 100%, this will be an interesting match-up all day long.
Crabtree’s ankle injury. It’s unrelated to his Achilles injury and he injured it during the gam last week and played through it, but he just needs to keep that thing healthy. If anything, he just needs to be in there so Anquan isn’t covered by eighteen million dudes. Luckily, he is probable.
Niners have to fly across the country and play at 10 a.m. Historically, this does not bode well for us.
The Rest of It
There’s not much to say this week. Tampa Bay’s defense has lead them to some good wins, but I just don’t see it happening on Sunday. The Niners are the better all-around team and we want it more. We NEED it more.
Dashon Goldson. Can’t say I’m sad we got rid of him—I don’t miss those illegal hits and penalties. But, he was always fun to watch and I expect him to play well on Sunday. Of course, I also hope he gets a lot of flags thrown at him, but not at the cost of one of my guys.
Beats by Dre. Seattle fans love to call us the “Forty Whiners,” but I have never seen a bigger temper tantrum in my life than the one they threw this week when the new Beats by Dre featuring Kap premiered. Personally, I love the commercial and the song, but the Seahawks fans are sad little puppies about how they were portrayed. And so they’re boycotting the headphones. Because I’m sure the type of person who throws a fit over a commercial is the type of person who was going to by Beats by Dre headphones.
Harbaugh going to coach at Texas. I am not even discussing this. People are so dumb.
There’s really not much else to say. It’s a quiet media week for the Niners because everyone expects them to win. After we do that, root for Arizona and the Eagles to lose so that we secure a playoff spot. Also, root for the Seahawks to lose against the Giants so that they don’t clinch the NFC West. And somehow we’re rooting for the stupid Saints to win again. Don’t ask. Math is hard.
Watch San Francisco at TAMPA BAY on Sunday at 10:00 a.m. on FOX.
