NFL game of the week: San Francisco 49ers vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

It’s a battle in Tampa Bay as the afternoon slate wraps up with the 49ers and the Bucs on Sunday.

Both teams are 4-1 and at the top of their respective divisions heading into the clash, with both teams boasting three-point bounce-back wins in Week 5.

The 49ers are 3-0 on the road this season, having not lost away from home since a 47-24 loss to the Cardinals in Week 18 of last year.

The league-leading passing offense will likely see Mac Jones stay as the starting quarterback. Brock Purdy is still not practicing, though a decision to send him to the injured reserve is not likely.

An interesting note for the ground game, however, is that the 49ers have not had a rushing touchdown despite Christian McCaffery’s 282 yards on 91 carries.

McCaffery has been able to make an impact as the team’s leading pass-catcher with 387 yards and three touchdowns. As for the wideouts, Ricky Pearsall and Kendrick Bourne are second and third in receiving yards with 327 and 229, respectively.

The San Francisco defense has been in the middle of the pack so far, ranking 14th and 15th in the passing and rushing yards allowed per game categories.

Linebacker Fred Warner will look to build on the 50 tackles he’s had, ranking third in the NFL. Warner has swatted down three passes this year, along with two tackles for loss.

Cornerback Decommodore Lenoir will look to get his first interception of the season, having 21 tackles and a pass deflection in five games.

The Buccaneers are 1-1 at home this season, with their lone win being a 29-27 decision against the Jets in Week 3.

Tampa Bay promptly fell to the Eagles by a score of 31-25 in Week 4 for their lone home loss.

The team bounced back with a high-flying 38-35 road win over the Seahawks in Week 5.

The passing offense has been pivotal for the Buccaneers, ranking sixth in the NFL in yards per game with 243.4.

Bucky Irving has plenty more carries than the rest of the Tampa Bay offense, but he’s questionable to go with a shoulder and foot injury. Rachaad White has been the only scorer on the ground with three touchdowns.

Mike Evans and Chris Godwin are still questionable with hamstring and fibula injuries, but Emeka Egbuka has done a great job stepping up with 445 receiving yards and five touchdowns.

Tampa Bay is tied for eighth in rushing defense; however, with a 20th-ranked passing defense, watch out for Mac Jones to poke some holes in that secondary.

Cornerbacks Benjamin Morrison, Jamel Dean and Zyon McCollum are all questionable to play as of Wednesday’s injury report.

Linebacker Lavonte David has also been listed as questionable with a knee injury. The team leader in tackles for loss was a limited participant in Wednesday’s practice.

A quarterback battle in Tampa Bay has all the makings of an air raid shootout between Mac Jones and Baker Mayfield.

With the potential for injury impacting both sides, expect Emeka Egbuka to have yet another breakout game en route to win number 5 for the Buccaneers.

Catch the game at 4:25 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on Monday, broadcasting live on CBS in most markets.

Bryan Portney is a second-year student majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email bep5295@psu.edu.