Baker Mayfield captains Buccaneers to win over injury-marred 49ers
Baker Mayfield passed for 256 yards and two touchdowns, and Kameron Johnson and Tez Johnson each made their first career touchdown catches to help the host Buccaneers record a 30-19 victory over the banged-up San Francisco 49ers on Sunday.
Rachaad White and Sean Tucker rushed for a touchdown each as Tampa Bay (5-1) won its second straight game. Jamel Dean and Kindle Vildor nabbed interceptions while helping the Buccaneers notch their largest winning margin of the season.
Mac Jones completed 27 of 39 passes for a season-high 347 yards but was intercepted twice for the 49ers (4-2), who lost for the second time in three games. Christian McCaffrey rushed for a touchdown and had 111 yards from scrimmage (54 rushing, 57 receiving), and Kendall Bourne had a career-high 142 yards for the second straight game while making five catches.
San Francisco played without quarterback Brock Purdy (turf toe) for the fourth time in five games. The 49ers also lost star linebacker Fred Warner to a serious right ankle injury midway through the first quarter.
Tampa Bay didn't have the services of star receiver Mike Evans (hamstring) for the third consecutive game and top running back Bucky Irving (foot, shoulder) for the second straight week. Standout rookie wideout Emeka Egbuka (hamstring) missed the second half after having two catches for 24 yards in the first.
Mayfield completed 17 of 23 passes to help the Buccaneers halt San Francisco's four-game winning streak in the series.
Tampa Bay held a 27-19 lead after Tez Johnson made a stellar grab of Mayfield's 45-yard throw with 2:40 left in the third quarter.
The 49ers drove into Buccaneers territory in the fourth quarter, but Jones' fourth-down pass was intercepted by Dean and returned six yards to the Tampa Bay 20 with 5:43 remaining in the game.
The Buccaneers cashed in with Chase McLaughlin's 45-yard field goal with 1:55 left to boost the lead to 11.
White scored on a 2-yard run to give the Buccaneers the early 7-0 lead. Eddy Pineiro booted a 52-yard field goal midway through the first quarter for San Francisco, and McCaffrey scored from the 1 to give the 49ers a 10-7 lead with 10:18 left in the first half.
Tucker's 9-yard scoring run allowed Tampa Bay to regain the lead with 5:10 left in the half before Pineiro booted a 54-yard field goal just over three minutes later. Mayfield's 34-yard scoring pass to Kameron Johnson gave the Buccaneers a 20-13 lead with 44 seconds to play before Pineiro was good from 42 yards out with two seconds left to leave San Francisco down four at the break.
Pineiro's fourth field goal, a 29-yarder midway through the third quarter, pulled the 49ers within 20-19.
NFL insiders drop massive tease for what Howie Roseman could be up to for Eagles
NFL.com insiders Mike Garafolo and Ian Rapoport dropped a slight nugget in a recent article regarding possible trades that could come to fruition once the NFL trade deadline comes up in a month. They expect Philadelphia Eagles general manager Howie Roseman to be active with a trade for a defensive player.
"Eagles general manager Howie Roseman has never met a trade he wouldn't consider, and don't be surprised if he looks for some help on defense. A cornerback or edge would make sense."
Eagles ready to make improvements to their defense
While Eagles fans are still reeling in their defeat against the division rival New York Giants, and possibly looking at a position group to blame it on, it is worth noting that Garafolo and Rapoport aren't off-base with their speculation.
With the recent injury to Quinyon Mitchell, along with the ineffective play of Kelee Ringo and Adoree' Jackson, the Eagles may need to look outside the organization for someone to assist in the secondary. On the active roster, the team rostered rookie Mac McWilliams, Parry Nickerson, and Ambry Thomas at cornerback on the practice squad.
As far as a pass rusher, the Eagles are in desperate need to supplement their front seven. The team did sign veteran EDGE Za'Darius Smith, who provided a slight spark; however, he is limited. The Eagles lost almost 50% of their pass rushers last year, which led to the 2025 squad accounting for only nine sacks in six games.
With no actual EDGE threat, the Eagles have been connected to even making a push for Trey Hendrickson. Currently, the Eagles' leading pass rusher is in a three-way tie with two, tied between Zach Baun, Jordan Davis, and Moro Ojomo.
With "mini" bye, the Eagles have plenty of time to sit and think before their matchup against the Carson Wentz-led Minnesota Vikings. With Howie Roseman being extremely aggressive this season, expect him to be highly active in calling teams, assessing player availability, and providing instant value for Philadelphia, which is currently on a two-game losing streak.
