The San Francisco 49ers will look to extend their winning streak at home against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. They will be onto their third quarterback –Trey Lance went down to begin the season, and now Jimmy Garoppolo is out for the rest of the regular season with an injury.
Now it’s Brock Purdy’s opportunity. He’s a former Iowa State quarterback that had won some big games at the college level. He helped earn a win over the Miami Dolphins last weekend and will have some confidence heading into this matchup against the Buccaneers.
But will we rely on Purdy to beat Tom Brady in a huge playoff implication matchup?
The 49ers are stacked and talented, but don’t say I didn’t warn you. The Buccaneers could end up winning this game.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. San Francisco 49ers
Sunday, December 11, 2022 – 04:25 PM EST at Levi’s Stadium
Can We Trust Brock Purdy?
The San Francisco 49ers have a simple offense. They always tried to do a little with Jimmy Garoppolo, and the more simplified things got, the better the team played. They love to run the football and just get the ball in the hands of their best playmakers. Any quarterback can do that.
Purdy still threw the ball 37 times against the Dolphins, completing 25 passes for two touchdowns and one interception. Still, Purdy was sacked three times and averaged just 5.7 yards per completion. He did some good things, but he’s also an inexperienced quarterback going up against a much harder Buccaneers defense.
The 49ers have averaged 369.2 yards per game on offense. That’s about average. The team has played so well because of its defense. Not its offense, even with Christian McCaffrey and Deebo Samuel on the roster.
What to Expect From Purdy
Purdy will need to limit turnovers and sacks, and I’m not sure he’ll be able to do that against Tampa Bay’s defensive front.
The 49ers haven’t allowed more than 17 points over their last five games. But that’s because the 49ers have limited turnovers and can give the defense a great field position.
Purdy made multiple mistakes last week and won’t be prepared for what the Buccaneers bring to the table.
Can Tampa Bay Clean Things Up for Sunday?
The Buccaneers haven’t been great this season. Straight up. The Bucs are 6-6 and have allowed more points than they’ve scored this year. The offense has so much talent, yet Tom Brady and the Bucs have only scored 18.1 points per game on 350.9 yards per game.
That’s typically not going to get the job done. But we know this game will be a significant defensive game. The quarterback who makes more errors will eventually lose this game.
Which quarterback will you put your money on to make a mistake? Purdy or Brady?
Brady only has three interceptions throughout the entire season. Jimmy Garoppolo only had four interceptions before getting hurt. Those quarterbacks can limit turnovers. Purdy won’t be able to due to his inexperience.
I’d rock with the veteran and GOAT, Tom Brady, in a tight, close game.
Our Betting Pick
The Niners deserve to be favorites. San Francisco hasn’t lost a game in over a month. But they’re now onto their third quarterback and starting Mr. Irrelevant as their starting quarterback as the 49ers look to make a push into the playoffs.
It’s not a knock on Purdy. He deserves this opportunity, but again, this will be a low-scoring game with a minimal offense.
I’d trust Tom Brady with the game on the line over Purdy. Maybe the Niners find success rushing the football early. But if not, it will be hard for the Niners to score many points in this game.
And nothing will be accessible on Brady and the Buccaneers, either. This offense is also inept and couldn’t score against the Saints last week until a final couple of drives when the pressure was on.
But that’s why I trust Brady in these spots. He was able to get the Buccaneers down the field and score multiple times. He also got a defensive stand from the defense to give him that opportunity.
Back the Buccaneers at +165 betting odds to get the upset win and get back over. 500.
NFL Pick: Buccaneers ML (+165) at Bet365
