Gameday Tampa Bay
September 8th, 2019
Game 1
49ers at Bucs
Kickoff: 4:25 p.m.
TV: WTVT-TV Channel 13, DirecTV/NFL Sunday Ticket Channel 716.
Radio: Buccaneers Radio Network WXTB-FM 97.9 in the Tampa-St. Petersburg region; 97.9 FM ESPN Radio in Tallahassee (Transmisiones de radio en español en WTMP-FM 96.1 y WMGG-AM 1470 en Tampa); SiriusXM Channel 81.
Weather: It is going to be a toasty one, a rare summer day in Tampa where there isn’t expected to be rain or at least cloud cover. The sun will just beat on tailgaters, players and fans alike. The hardcore tailgaters will guzzle alcohol in the upper-80s, the Tim McGraw fans will bounce and sway in the low 90s and by kickoff, look for the temperature to be 91 degrees under sunny skies, per AccuWeather.com. By the end of the game in the early evening, temperatures should cool off to 87.
Odds: Per the Mirage in Las Vegas, Bucs -1.5; O/U 51.
Outlook: For Joe this is quite simple: it is all about the offensive line of the Bucs. In Week 3 of the preseason, the regular-season dress rehearsal game, the line was absolutely worked over by the Browns’ defensive line. Now the Browns may have the best defensive line in the NFL, but the 49ers’ may be second. Unlike the Bucs, 49ers general manager John Lynch believes in getting after the quarterback. To be honest, whatever the Bucs did or didn’t do to get ragdolled by the Browns may have been the best thing that happened to them. The Bucs got two weeks to work on what needs fixing, or to work on how to change up assignments in order to avoid a repeat of that debacle. If the Bucs gameplan properly, they should have better blocking. And if the Bucs can block well enough, Joe expects America’s Quarterback, Pro Bowler Jameis Winston, to be fine. Joe has a hunch the defense will be OK. The way Joe sees it, the defense has to keep the 49ers and quarterback Jimmy GQ under 24 points. If the 49ers score 24 points or anything more, Joe believes the Bucs will be in for a dogfight. And if the Bucs cannot block, God help Jameis.
Trinkets: The two teams have had signature wins against the other to open an NFL season. In 1986, Ronnie Lott had two of the 49ers seven picks, most interceptions in a game in Bucs history. And 11 years later in 1997, Warren Sapp had 2.5 of the Bucs seven sacks, knocking Steve Young out of the game. Fair to say when these two teams meet in Week 1, the big dogs come out to play. … QB Jimmy GQ has a career .800 winning percentage (8-2), highest among active quarterbacks (with a minimum 10 starts). He has 2,260 pass yards (282.5 per game) in eight starts with San Francisco. … RB Matt Breida had 1,075 scrimmage yards and five scrimmage TDs (three rushin, two receiving in 2018). Averaged 5.3 yards per attempt last season, second-highest among running backs with at least 150 attempts. … RB Tevin Coleman makes San Francisco debut. He has a career-high 1,076 scrimmage yards with Atlanta in 2018. … TE George Kittle had 1,377 receiving yards last season, most by a tight end in a single season in NFL history. He ranked third among tight ends with 88 catches in 2018, most by a tight end in a single season in franchise history. Kittle has 1,892 receiving yards and needs 883 more to surpass Hall of Fame tight end Mike Ditka (2,774) for most by a tight end in his first three seasons. … WR Dante Pettis is tied for the team-lead with five touchdown catches in 2018. He had 77 receiving yards and a touchdown catch in the last meeting with the Bucs. … DT DeForest Buckner led the 49ers with a career-high 12 sacks in 2018. He had a sack against the Bucs in their last meeting. … DE Dee Ford makes his San Francisco debut. He had a career-high 13 sacks and tied for first with seven forced fumbles with Kansas City last season. … LB Kwon Alexander makes his San Francisco debut. The former Bucs middle linebacker has 90+ tackles in three of his past four seasons. … LB Fred Warner led the 49ers with 123 tackles in 2018, third-most among rookies. … Veteran CB Richard Sherman has 32 career picks, tied for second-most among active players. … DE Nick Bosa was selected second overall in the 2019 NFL Draft. … QB Jameis Winston passed for 2,922 yards in 11 games in 2018. He has 10 touchdowns vs. two interceptions in his last four home starts. Jameis had 312 passing yards and 2 touchdowns vs. 0 interceptions in his last meeting with the 49ers. … RB Peyton Barber led the Bucs with a career-high 871 rushing yards and 5 rushing touchdowns in 2018. He had a rushing touchdown in the last meeting between the two clubs. … WR Mike Evans ranked third in the NFL with a franchise-record 1,524 receiving yards in 2018 and joined Hall of Famer Randy Moss and Bengals receiver A.J. Green as the only players in NFL history with 1,000+ receiving yards in each of their first five seasons. Evans has 6,103 career receiving yards and 40 touchdown catches, both most in franchise history. He has 212 receiving yards (106 per game) and 2 receiving touchdowns in two career games vs. the 49ers. … WR Chris Godwin set career highs in catches (59), receiving yards (842) and receiving touchdowns (7) in 2018. … TE Cam Brate is one of three tight ends (along with Kansas City’s Travis Kelce and Philadelphia’s Zach Ertz) with at least 20 touchdown catches (20) since 2016. Brate is the lone tight end with at least six receiving touchdowns in each of his last three seasons. … LB Lavonte David led the Bucs with 120 combined tackles last season (tackles and assists). It was his sixth season at 100 or more. David has 884 combined tackles since 2012, third-most in NFL. David aims for his third game in a row against the 49ers with a forced fumble. … DT Ndamukong Suh makes his Bucs debut. He has 56 career sacks, third-most among active tackles. … OLB Carl Nassib had a career-high 6.5 sacks in 2018.
September 8th, 2019 at 12:09 am
JOE,
Can you guys start using pictures of Bucs cheerleaders for home games and pictures of opposing cheerleaders for away games? I never get to see the home team talent 🙁
September 8th, 2019 at 12:14 am
It’s been a tradition of Joe’s since he launched this here website in 2009 to feature a representative of the opposing team’s cheerleader squad. Buccaneers.com has plenty of photos of Bucs cheerleaders.
September 8th, 2019 at 12:14 am
I genuinely think Bruce will pull our Bucs to 9-7 or 10-6. Call me crazy. But coaching is everything in the NFL.
September 8th, 2019 at 12:17 am
Thought for months this would we counted as a win for the Bucs..
that 3rd preseason game the bucs offense could not even manage a field goal…
Unless the 49ers have just the worst game, this feels like one of those games they are suppose to win but reality plays out differently…
September 8th, 2019 at 12:47 am
^Tye is pretty sharp^
September 8th, 2019 at 12:57 am
Run Jameis Run!
September 8th, 2019 at 1:39 am
Go Bucs! She thinks my tractors sexy!
September 8th, 2019 at 1:51 am
1-0 and tied for first in the division tonight! 🙂
September 8th, 2019 at 2:07 am
Warren Sapp knocked Steve Young and Jerry Rice out of that game. Also it was the hottest game I’ve ever been to – it wasn’t the normal sweltering heat that you’d expect, but was insanely hot and windy, like someone sticking a blow dryer in your face for 3 hours. The wimp yankee I went to the game with went to the ER with sun poisoning- which made me laugh. But speaking of laughing when I showed up for work the next day the black people there were calling me a raccoon since my face was burnt to a crisp expect for a band across my eyes where I was wearing glasses. You can imagine the jokes at my expense. I’m still very injured from these words.
September 8th, 2019 at 2:31 am
Welp! Today is the day. It may be a long day.
Tomorrow’s goals? :
8 sacks by DL?
3 sacks by Suh or Vea?
350 yard 3 TDs 0 ints?
150 yards rec 2 TDs (ME)?
2 TDs (PB)?
Optional?:
1 TD (CB)?
1 TD (OJ)?
Defense:
10 points or less?
5 ints?
September 8th, 2019 at 3:20 am
Like the rest of us, I’m picturing the game starting with a run, a run, a pass and a punt followed by a td by the other team. Here’s hoping, this season shows licht is a genius and all he needed was the green light to hire real coaches to coach our Bucs!!
GOOOOOOO BUCSSSS!!!!!!
September 8th, 2019 at 4:09 am
Interesting stats Joe, and I have to keep telling myself ‘That was yesterday, and yesterday’s gone’. I’m NOT expecting a sterling offensive performance by our Bucs. Personally think we’ll score right around 20 points (Jameis’ 4-year average) … a couple of TDs and a couple of FGs. What I’m HOPING for more from the offense is that they (1) don’t turn the ball over more than once; and (2) that they control the clock with at least 32 mins TOP.
The Bucs’ DEFENSE is the key to the game IMO, especially shutting down the run & making Garappolo beat us with his arm. If our interior DLine can get push up the middle then I think we can rattle him with multiple sacks AND at least a couple of turnovers (if we can’t, could be a long day for us). I’m sticking with a 20-16 Bucs win.
September 8th, 2019 at 4:12 am
We need a win today for mental stabilities sake! Big questions will be answered today….Is the secondary really fixed? Can the D/Line stuff the run! Can this Todd Bowles defense get to the QB? Can this O/Line fun block and pass protect? Will FAMOUS take his game to another level? All the answers to my questions will be revealed today!!!! NO HIC-UPS OUT THE GATE!! GO GET’M BUCS!!! ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL!!
September 8th, 2019 at 4:25 am
First of, got to say once again I envy you all that you can enjoy a holiday and watch the game with all the pregame and excitement. Here it’s a working day and the game starts at 11 pm, so no much sleep coming monday.
For me, even though i followed the team the whole offseason listening to 5+ bucs podcasts and such, i think i’m the least excited as i ever was to begin a season.
I won’t get into it now, it’s game 1 after all.
Go bucs
September 8th, 2019 at 4:33 am
Let’s go Bucs. Let’s go Winston!!!
Winston, I expect a big season from you!!
September 8th, 2019 at 5:30 am
Why did you delete my post Joe? What is this commie shiznitz lately? Your post is there. –Joe All I said was Sapp took out not just Steve Young, but Jerry Rice, correcting what you have above and I said it was insanely hot and the stupid Yankee friend I brought to that game went to the ER because the idiot thought he had sun poisoning. Can you really not say Yankee here? All of you Yankees are carpetbaggers make your living off us, at the very least you should have no issue with being called the Y-word.
September 8th, 2019 at 5:40 am
Rod … Diatribes at 5 AM? Really? Less coffee. Drink less coffee.
September 8th, 2019 at 6:07 am
Clean slate my fellow Bucs fans. Gonna try to put the past in a separate and hidden memory folder in my mind and cheer for my team as if this is a new team with no crappy baggage, just the prospect of having a winning attitude and season. Who knows? Sh** may workout alright this season…
September 8th, 2019 at 6:44 am
Well all, I think you would have enjoyed my last post.
But alas, since my optimism goes against the narrative, it will likely be forever buried. And to think, it was just a story about two different dog breeds.
Go German Shepherds!
September 8th, 2019 at 7:31 am
Rod Munch
YOU the real MVP…. Trust this Yankee would have been right in the Trenches witcha. I’ve only been to one game ever, Raheems home opener vs Dallas. Drove down from Atlanta. That two was the first game of new regime….
Something tells me todays result will be quite different….
Let’s Go!!
September 8th, 2019 at 7:42 am
I wonder if the San Fran version of Joe Buc fan has a picture of Lorenzo the male cheerleader on its page today?
September 8th, 2019 at 8:14 am
In 1986, Ronnie Lott had two of the 49ers seven picks, most interceptions in a game in Bucs history.
—————————
Geez, Joes, don’t remind me. Those were the Dark Ages for Bucs fans. This team is light-years better talent wise. Let’s go get a win, Tampa Bay!! 🙂
September 8th, 2019 at 9:12 am
Joe, I realize how tradition is. I have my own in regard to football and I would not change them for the world. TampaBay55 did make a good suggestion though.
May I siggest the Bucs cheerleaders be featured in the Game thread instead?
September 8th, 2019 at 9:23 am
This is going to look like the Packers/Bears game; or maybe Gators/Miami. Sloppy sloppy. This game should be subtitled “Two Quarterbacks Run for Their Lives.”
I foresee one touchdown and six field goals between them. 15-10 or 13-12 final. Bucs pull it out only because Jameis doesn’t pull any butt fumbles or ejaculate the ball straight up in the air from his back. We will all thank the new Arians staff for breaking his bad habits, and no one will panic because next week our o-line gets to redeem itself against SheMC.
Our o-line will come together over the next few weeks after being shocked by the #1 d-line today. What everyone will take for granted is the fact that our defense mostly shut down Frisco to carry an offense struggling with a new playbook. Bowles will have worked a miracle, but feel forgotten; because to us, watching stifling defense just feels normal. We quickly forget the embarrassing defenses of the last ten years as if it never happened.
Go bucs!
September 8th, 2019 at 11:07 am
Jamesi must be licking his chops…Goff signed a 4 year 134 million $$$$$$$$$$ contract….or the pressure is rattling his soul….I hope he can step up and play top 10 QB football while winning games…Go Bucs ! 2019 is here at last !
September 8th, 2019 at 12:06 pm
Everybody not going tothe game today should personallythank Fox35 for their Giants Cowboys broadcast and dropping our game.
September 8th, 2019 at 12:13 pm
slugg:
Tampabaybucfan told us on an earlier article that directv will offer up the game free of charge on channel 716 if you get directv here is what I found online:
DirecTV will be offering a free preview of NFL Sunday Ticket on the first Sunday of the 2019/2020 season, Sept. 8. The preview is only good for one day but includes access to the 13 games scheduled. NFL Sunday Ticket can be found on DirecTV channels 701-718
September 8th, 2019 at 12:14 pm
The 1997 game made the SI cover, right? “Niner Nightmare” was the headline if I remember correctly.
September 8th, 2019 at 12:53 pm
And if you don’t have DirecTV, you can always use Reddit NFL Streams. Just google “Reddit NFL Streams” should be the first link. From there you can find the Buccaneers vs. 49ers thread. Under that thread you’ll find several stream links to the game.
September 8th, 2019 at 1:50 pm
Fox35…where is that?
September 8th, 2019 at 1:52 pm
Orlando? Dang, I’d be peeved too!
September 8th, 2019 at 1:53 pm
Kevinator24, Spectrum is aggressively pursuing people accessing pirate streams. They deny internet access to their costumers when they catch them.
I don’t know about other companies.
September 8th, 2019 at 2:46 pm
Dang Fox….. I’m pissed!!!!!
September 8th, 2019 at 2:54 pm
What’s worse is that Uverse has stopped broadcasting the Red Zone channel. Red Zone is the best and now it’s gone. Stupid Uverse!
September 8th, 2019 at 2:54 pm
Thanks for the info guys. Looks like I’ll be watching it on my phone or just listening to Gene.
September 8th, 2019 at 2:57 pm
BB
The only Florida team being shown is Jax. Other two teams fans get the shaft. Great business model for opening day.
If somebody did that in Massachussetts there would be riots. Here they just give us the middle finger.
September 8th, 2019 at 3:03 pm
Brandon
I think yahoo sports app has the game live
September 8th, 2019 at 4:27 pm
Not in Orlando Jesus what the schmeck!
September 8th, 2019 at 4:35 pm
@Bonzai You can always run it through a proxy website lol. I don’t have Spectrum. Even then I usually just use my phones data and connect my Xbox to it by mobile hotspot. Been doing it for two years now with no repercussions