Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

The San Francisco 49ers started their bye week and head to Tampa Bay to take on the Buccaneers. They will have some reinforcements, such as running back Christian McCaffreywho looks set to make his debut in the 2024 season. If the 49ers want to be victorious, they must stay at the Keys of Victory.

Run The Ball (zone out of zone)

The 49ers’ out-of-zone running game should be improved with McCaffrey back. The 49ers are primarily an out-of-zone run team, with 58 percent of their plays designed to go outside. The Buccaneers are built to stop the run up the middle with their star player Vita Vea, so the 49ers would like to move the ball laterally when they try to run.

The 49ers need to wear down the interior of the defense early so that later in the game they can run the ball up the middle. Expect their power running game to close the game. If the 49ers run the ball successfully, they can attempt to pass the ball successfully.

Right Throws

The Buccaneers defense ranks 30th in passing, allowing 255.9 yards per game. They seem to struggle against the short, immediate and deep pass all over the field. The best player in coverage is cornerback Zyon McCollum, who has two interceptions on the season but is allowing 51.2 percent of his passes to be completed along with four touchdowns.

Brock Purdy and the offense needs to get into a rhythm early with some quick throws and catching passes over the middle of the field. Expect Purdy to try more explosive throws down the field, but he needs to take what the defense allows and not force the ball into coverage.

Finish in the Red Zone

This season, the 49ers rank 28th in the red zone with a 48.57% completion rate. In 2023, the team completed 68 percent of its attempts in the red zone for touchdowns, ranking first in the NFL. With McCaffrey back, the 49ers should improve drastically in the red zone, starting with the Buccaneers. Since the 49ers are on the road, all scores are welcome, but the 49ers must score touchdowns in the red zone to be victorious.

Stop running

The 49ers defense must defend against the Buccaneers’ rushing attack. Although the Bucs rank 10th in rushing yards per game average, head coach Todd Bowles will make full use of his running back room. The 49ers defense needs to play fundamentally sound, staying in their lanes, filling gaps and packing and tackling well. Missed tackles could hurt the 49ers’ defense and keep them on the field for longer periods of time.

If the 49ers’ sixth-down defense shuts down the run, Baker Mayfield would be forced to pass, allowing the 49ers’ secondary to play for turnovers.

Third stop down

The 49ers rank 24th in third-down conversions allowed, giving up an average of 5.6 per game. The Buccaneers rank second in third-down conversions, averaging 6.3 per game. The key to victory is keeping the Buccaneers out of shorter third down situations.

This game will not be easy. The Buccaneers are aggressive and will make their shots. They are coming off a loss to the Kansas City Chiefs (30-24) and, despite the adversity, will give the 49ers everything they have. The 49ers need to hang on to the Keys to Victory if they plan to win and improve to 5-4.

• Written by:

  Wayne Breezie is a 49ers content creator. His first guest appearance on Ronbosports in 2012. He started writing for a Facebook group called League of 49. Then, he started writing for Nothing But Niners in 2017. In 2018, Wayne Breezie made his debut on the show Nothing But Niners on YouTube. In 2019, he started his podcast called Nitty Gritty Niners. After putting down the pen for a few years, Breezie saw an opportunity to write for 49erscap.com. His first published article was in January 2022 with 49ersCap, and he currently writes and produces weekly podcasts.