49ers fall 30-19 to Bucs with Fred Warner hurt, Mac Jones ineffective

TAMPA, Fla. - Fred Warner's right foot turned sideways. San Francisco 49ers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers players alike could not bear the sight. Niners teammate CJ West shakily raised both hands to either side of his helmet. Bucs wide receiver Tez Johnson covered his entire facemask as he turned away and signaled to the visitor's sideline for help.

With 7:38 left in the first quarter, the game had only just begun. Both sides needed to carry on after Warner suffered his season-ending ankle injury. The 49ers tried. The Buccaneers were better equipped to do so as quarterback Baker Mayfield and company dealt the 49ers (4-2) a 30-19 loss, triggering a three-way tie atop the NFC West.

"Of course, everyone knows it's difficult when you lose your better players and your leaders," head coach Kyle Shanahan said. "That's tough. … Glad that we've played some decent football to put us in this position, at least with our record. And we got to find a way to get better everywhere else."

The Niners had their chances late.

With the score 27-19, quarterback Mac Jones fumbled while being sacked a fourth time but caught a break after the review showed his shin touched the grass first. Buccaneers kicker Chase McLaughlin missed a 49-yard field-goal attempt on the ensuing drive to give the 49ers the ball back with a little less than nine minutes to go; they did not reach midfield.

A fifth sack on Jones set them back. A running-into-the-kicker penalty against Bucs star defensive tackle Vita Vea handed them another lifeline. And five plays later, Jones threw an interception once more. He entered Sunday with just one across his three previous starts filling in for Brock Purdy (toe), but finished with two Sunday.

McLaughlin subsequently redeemed himself with a 45-yard field goal after the two-minute warning that put the Buccaneers (5-1) up by two possessions, all but sealing the outcome.

"I was disappointed that I didn't play better for (Warner) today," said Jones, dealing with a knee and an oblique injury.

Warner-less and without star defensive end Nick Bosa (ACL, out for season), the Niners held the Buccaneers to back-to-back punts immediately after Warner exited. Soon enough, the Bucs wore down a young unit led by defensive coordinator Robert Saleh. Mayfield led the Bucs to three consecutive touchdown drives.

After the game, fans at Raymond James Stadium let loose M-V-P chants.

Buccaneers 30, 49ers 19

First Quarter

TB: White 2 run (McLaughlin kick), 9:54. Drive: 2 plays, 12 yards, 00:43. Key Plays: Vildor 13 interception return to San Francisco 12; White 10 run. Tampa Bay 7, San Francisco 0.

SF: FG Piñeiro 52, 7:54. Drive: 6 plays, 36 yards, 2:00. Key Plays: Moore kick return to San Francisco 30; M.Jones 41 pass to Bourne. Tampa Bay 7, San Francisco 3.

Second Quarter

SF: McCaffrey 1 run (Piñeiro kick), 10:18. Drive: 10 plays, 81 yards, 4:44. Key Plays: M.Jones 56 pass to Bourne; M.Jones 2 run on 3rd-and-1. San Francisco 10, Tampa Bay 7.

TB: Tucker 9 run (McLaughlin kick), 5:10. Drive: 9 plays, 68 yards, 5:08. Key Plays: Tucker kick return to Tampa Bay 32; Mayfield 17 pass to Egbuka; Mayfield 23 pass to Otton; White 4 run on 3rd-and-1. Tampa Bay 14, San Francisco 10.

SF: FG Piñeiro 54, 2:05. Drive: 8 plays, 27 yards, 3:05. Key Plays: Moore kick return to San Francisco 37; M.Jones 19 pass to Valdes-Scantling on 3rd-and-6. Tampa Bay 14, San Francisco 13.

TB: K.Johnson 34 pass from Mayfield (run failed), :44. Drive: 6 plays, 73 yards, 1:21. Key Plays: Tucker kick return to Tampa Bay 28; Mayfield 18 pass to White; Mayfield 11 pass to Otton. Tampa Bay 20, San Francisco 13.

SF: FG Piñeiro 42, :02. Drive: 7 plays, 47 yards, 00:42. Key Plays: Moore kick return to San Francisco 29; M.Jones 31 pass to D.Robinson; M.Jones 13 pass to D.Robinson. Tampa Bay 20, San Francisco 16.

Third Quarter

SF: FG Piñeiro 29, 7:27. Drive: 15 plays, 65 yards, 7:33. Key Plays: B.Robinson kick return to San Francisco 24; M.Jones 19 pass to Bourne; M.Jones 3 run on 3rd-and-2; McCaffrey 11 run; McCaffrey 2 run on 3rd-and-1; M.Jones 14 pass to Bourne. Tampa Bay 20, San Francisco 19.

TB: T.Johnson 45 pass from Mayfield (McLaughlin kick), 2:40. Drive: 9 plays, 66 yards, 4:47. Key Plays: Tucker kick return to Tampa Bay 34; White 2 run on 3rd-and-1; Mayfield 15 run on 3rd-and-14. Tampa Bay 27, San Francisco 19.

Fourth Quarter

TB: FG McLaughlin 45, 1:55. Drive: 8 plays, 38 yards, 3:48. Key Plays: Dean 6 interception return to Tampa Bay 35; Mayfield 13 pass to K.Johnson; Mayfield 17 pass to K.Johnson. Tampa Bay 30, San Francisco 19.

A_62,411.

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INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING: San Francisco, McCaffrey 17-54, Jones 5-13. Tampa Bay, White 17-65, Tucker 6-25, Mayfield 3-14.

PASSING: San Francisco, Jones 27-39-2-347. Tampa Bay, Mayfield 17-23-0-256.

RECEIVING: San Francisco, McCaffrey 7-57, Tonges 6-58, Bourne 5-142, B.Robinson 3-8, D.Robinson 2-44, Valdes-Scantling 2-22, Juszczyk 1-9, Jennings 1-7. Tampa Bay, Otton 5-51, K.Johnson 4-64, White 3-21, Shepard 2-51, Egbuka 2-24, T.Johnson 1-45.

PUNT RETURNS: San Francisco, Moore 2-25. Tampa Bay, K.Johnson 1-6.

KICKOFF RETURNS: San Francisco, Moore 4-109, B.Robinson 2-52. Tampa Bay, Tucker 5-127, K.Johnson 1-31.

TACKLES-ASSISTS-SACKS: San Francisco, Bethune 5-5-0, Sigle 4-0-0, Stout 3-2-0, Winters 3-1-0, M.Williams 2-1-1, Brown 2-1-0, Elliott 2-1-0, Green 2-1-0, Gifford 2-0-0, Lenoir 1-1-0, Mustapha 1-1-0, West 1-1-0, Huff 1-0-0, Collins 0-1-0, Warner 0-1-0. Tampa Bay, Dennis 6-1-0, Winfield 5-4-0, Parrish 5-2-0, Smith 5-1-0, David 4-2-1, Dean 3-1-1, Diaby 3-0-2, Reddick 2-1-.5, Vildor 2-1-0, Vea 1-3-.5, Nelson 1-3-0, Braswell 1-1-0, L.Hall 1-1-0, Gaines 1-0-0, Brewer 0-2-.5, E.Roberts 0-1-.5, D.Jones 0-1-0, Simmons 0-1-0.

INTERCEPTIONS: San Francisco, None. Tampa Bay, Vildor 1-13, Dean 1-6.

MISSED FIELD GOALS: Tampa Bay, McLaughlin 49.

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OFFICIALS: Referee Brad Rogers, Ump Bryan Neale, HL Patrick Turner, LJ Kevin Codey, FJ Joe Blubaugh, SJ David Meslow, BJ Greg Yette, Replay Denise Crudup.

"It's Week 6," Mayfield said. "It's awesome to have the support, don't get me wrong, but we're just getting started."

The 49ers managed just one touchdown on the day, as running back Christian McCaffrey punched in their first rushing score of the season, again eclipsing the century mark with 111 total scrimmage yards. He became the first player in the NFL to have at least 100 yards from scrimmage in each contest through six games since Saquon Barkley and Adam Thielen did it in in 2018.

But without Purdy, All-Pro tight end George Kittle (hamstring), standout wide receiver Ricky Pearsall (knee), and again with a half-healthy Jauan Jennings (ankle, rib) at wideout, the offense was playing shorthanded.

The Niners had to settle for four field goals. Eddy Piñeiro made all of them to stay perfect (15-for-15) early in his 49ers tenure.

In light of another major loss, the team needed more than a reliable placekicker to win.

"It's just heartbreaking," McCaffrey said of Warner's injury. "It's such a weird game when you have to see somebody like that, and what happened with Bosa earlier in the year, and then just have to continue to play."

This article originally published at 49ers fall 30-19 to Bucs with Fred Warner hurt, Mac Jones ineffective.