TAMPA, Fla. — Here is how the 49ers (4-2) graded in Sunday’s 30-19 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5-1) at Raymond James:
PASS OFFENSE: C-
Mac Jones, already battered through three starts, was sacked six times and intercepted twice but threw for 347 yards with a sore oblique and knee. Coach Kyle Shanahan didn’t blame Jones for getting intercepted on the opening possession’s third down, seeing how Kendrick Bourne apparently turned the wrong way on his route.
Bourne, to his growing credit, did rack up 142 yards for a second straight game. Jauan Jennings’ return was far from smooth as he got into a sideline tiff with Shanahan, drew two penalties on the first drive after halftime and finised with a seven-yard reception on three targets.
RUN OFFENSE: D
Christian McCaffrey delivered the 49ers’ first rushing touchdown all season. He scored on a do-over, third-and-goal run from the one-yard line to put the 49ers in front for all of five minutes this game. But McCaffrey had just 54 yards (17 carries) with more yards as a receiver (57 on seven catches). Brian Robinson Jr. and Isaac Guerendo had no carries; Jones converted two short-yardage runs.
PASS DEFENSE: F
No interceptions for an NFL-record 13th straight game. One sack, the first from rookie Mykel Williams. No other quarterback hits. Two pass breakups. Two touchdowns allowed on blown coverages, including a 45-yarder past safety Marques Sigle for a 27-19 deficit that sealed the 49ers’ fate. This is a toothless unit on every level, and MVP candidate Baker Mayfield preyed on it (256 yards, 139.0 passer rating).
RUN DEFENSE: D
Fred Warner’s first-quarter ankle injury has devastating implications for the rest of the season, and it certainly crushed the 49ers’ morale during and after the game.
Warner was hurt when his right leg got rolled up by teammate Ji’Ayir Brown as the latter tackled Rachaad White on a 10-yard gain against a 10-man defense missing a right end. Two rushing touchdowns were surrendered but just as damning was a 15-yard scramble by Mayfield for a third-and-14 conversion, two plays before his 45-yard touchdown throw. That run only happened because he slipped from Huff’s grasp on a near sack.
SPECIAL TEAMS: C
Eddy Piñeiro made all four of his field-goal attempts (52, 54, 42, 29 yards) and is 15-of-15 this season since replacing Jake Moody in Week 2. Pineiro also had his left foot stepped on by a lineman after one kick, and punter Thomas Morstead had his right knee slammed into by 350-pound Vita Vea in the fourth quarter to keep alive a last-gasp drive. On Skyy Moore’s two punt returns, he curiously fielded them at the 2- and 3-yard lines in the first quarter. Moore and Robinson took over kick return duties in place of Guerendo.
COACHING: C
Shanahan looked as downcast as expected after losing Warner and a game the 49ers still could have won against a Bucs team also missing key players to injury. Shanahan uncharacteristically ripped into Jennings on the sideline before halftime, signaling a serious and concerning divide no matter how competitive they are. Good luck to Robert Saleh as he pilots a defense missing Warner and Nick Bosa for 11 more games. That defense missed a right end on the play Warner got hurt and substitution errors can be crushing.
