The 49ers had a Week 9 bye after their win over the Cowboys in Week 8. The bye might have come at the perfect time, as Christian McCaffrey’s practice window opened for return at the beginning of this week. No team in the league has been bit harder by the injury bug than the 49ers, but they have found a way to win three of their last five games despite that, which is a testament to how good this team is
The Bucs lost on Monday to the Chiefs in overtime, but there were a lot of things done very well. The loss of Mike Evans and Chris Godwin is noticeable on offense, but not dismantling, thanks to offensive coordinator Liam Coen and Baker Mayfield’s unwillingness to go down without a fight. The Bucs’ defense sacked Patrick Mahomes four times (most by an opponent this year) and recovered a fumble. It ultimately ended in their third straight loss, adding to a now 4-5 record that doesn’t accurately depict how good this team is.
Mayfield has scrambled a league-high 14 times on third down this season, gaining 106 yards and six first downs. He has generated six explosive gains (10+ yards) on his third down scrambles this season, the most in the NFL. On early downs, Mayfield has scrambled 10 times for 83 yards and a touchdown.
The 49ers defense has faced just eight scramble attempts all season, tied for the second fewest in the NFL. Across their eight scrambles faced, they have allowed 96 yards and a touchdown (12.0 YPC).
