It should come as no surprise that the Buccaneers are not expected to leave San Francisco on Sunday with a win. The 49ers are obvious Super Bowl contenders, boasting the NFL’s best scoring defense and one of its most efficient offenses, averaging 6.4 yards per play.
Tampa Bay, on the other hand, has allowed the fifth-most yardage defensively, owns the league’s worst rushing offense and is top-five in penalties. The roster and arguably the coaching do not stack up well against a team well-prepared for a deep playoff run like the 49ers.
Nevertheless, no game is decided before it starts, so the Bucs still have a path to victory, narrow though it may be. The defense proved last week that it can still smother opponents with Todd Bowles’ blitzes, and the offense continues to progress as it finds new avenues to move the ball, particularly in the absence of a viable run game.
Here are three keys to a Bucs victory over San Francisco this Sunday: