Tampa – The pressure is mounting for the San Francisco 49ers as every game counts moving forward. Coming off a bye, the team is focused on securing victories for the remainder of the season. But when Kicker Jake Moody missed three field goals, including a 49-yard, 50-yard, and 44-yard attempt, tensions ran high—especially with Deebo Samuel, who was visibly frustrated with Moody after making his return after a three-week absence due to an ankle injury.
Despite the rough start, Moody redeemed himself; Chase McLaughlin kicked a 26-yard field goal with .41 seconds left on the clock to tie the game 20-20. San Francisco had more trick left; Moody nailed a game-winning 44-yard field goal to secure the 23-20 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Christian McCaffrey, activated off the injured list just yesterday after missing two months due to bilateral Achilles tendinitis, also made his return. The running back contributed 13 carries for 39 yards and 6 receptions for 68 yards through the air, showing that he was still a key part of the 49ers’ offensive game plan.
Rookie Ricky Pearsall had a standout performance with 4 receptions for 73 yards, including a 46-yard touchdown from Brock Purdy. The rookie, who had been shot earlier in the season, made an inspiring return in Week 7, and today he celebrated his first NFL touchdown.
George Kittle also had a significant impact, racking up 57 yards on 3 receptions, including a 34-yard run where he bulldozed through defenders. That play set up Purdy’s 11-yard touchdown to Kittle in the corner of the end zone, marking Kittle’s 7th touchdown of the season and his 44th career touchdown.
Tensions flared when Samuel lost his cool after Moody’s third miss, but long-snapper Taybor Pepper quickly stepped in to defend the kicker. When Samuel approached Moody on the sidelines, Pepper intervened, telling him “We got this!.” While the exchange was heated, the mood shifted when the 49ers pulled off the win in overtime.
“Normally I don’t even get like that, but just frustrated in the heat of battle, a close game and I kind of got out of character a little bit,” Samuel said. “But I’ll talk to Moody and we’ll get past it.”
“[I] really, really wanted a chance to redeem myself and felt really confident, really good going that direction,” said Moody. “[I] saw what happened with the previous one and was able to make an adjustment and put it through.”
Photo by 49ers/Twitter
