Both Tom Brady and Brock Purdy had clutch finishes in Week 13. The former, 45, made NFL history with a two-score comeback against the Saints, confirming the Buccaneers as leaders in the NFC South. The latter, 22, stepped in for the injured Jimmy Garoppolo and looked comfortable leading the 49ers over the Dolphins. This week, pitted against each other in Santa Clara, only one quarterback delivered: Mr. Irrelevant himself. Even while losing star receiver Deebo Samuel to injury, the rookie Purdy headlined an explosive 49ers attack in his first career start, easily outdueling Brady in a 35-7 rout.
Brady, of course, wasn't the only issue with Tampa Bay; the Bucs' offensive issues have been widespread all year. But facing San Francisco's notoriously relentless front, the comeback artist never had a chance of even sniffing a comeback. While Nick Bosa and the 49ers didn't post gaudy sack numbers, they did force a pair of ugly interceptions and prevented Brady and Co. from establishing any rhythm, especially on throws past the sticks. Purdy, meanwhile, operated with authority in Kyle Shanahan's system, aided by speedy production from Christian McCaffrey and Brandon Aiyuk.
Here are additional takeaways from Sunday's 49ers rout, which was even more lopsided than the score indicates:
Why the 49ers won
They played with the utmost confidence on both sides of the ball, and backed it up with stellar execution in the trenches. On offense, Purdy looked comfortable from start to finish against Todd Bowles' typically feisty "D," mostly because he had plenty of time to chuck it, or just let McCaffrey (150+ total yards) handle the ball. The young QB was both efficient and explosive through the air, showing a willingness to take shots when Kyle Shanahan let him do so. The line simply paved the way for all of it. By the end of the day, San Francisco had racked up more than 200 yards on the ground, and faced just seven total third downs going into the last half of the fourth quarter.
On the other side, despite failing to bring Brady to the ground a whole lot, the 49ers' front was dominant as ever, limiting Tampa Bay to almost exclusively short-area throws. Dre Greenlaw and Tashaun Gipson each had acrobatic picks on Brady misfires, but the entire unit was suffocating, making Brady and Co. play horizontally for most of the contest.
Why the Buccaneers lost
They wish they were the 49ers with the ball in their hands. In other words, the Todd Bowles/Byron Leftwich-led offense remained a plodding contingent. Brady, who's been dragged into their mud more often than usual this year, was dragged in once again, missing several would-be TD throws and tossing a pair of bad picks while trying to manufacture momentum. The banged-up line had few answers (besides holding) for the 49ers' front, and neither Mike Evans nor Chris Godwin consistently broke free in the secondary. The defense did settle down after a rough first half, and also had an interception wiped out by an iffy call, but otherwise looked overmatched by Shanahan's schemes. This game was just the latest evidence that these Bucs are older, slower and, perhaps, dead. Their eight penalties also served as a reminder of the lack of discipline under Bowles' watch.
Turning point
Trailing by 28, the Bucs got the ball to start the second half with a chance to wipe the slate clean. Just three plays in, however, with not even a minute passed in the third quarter, Brady tried to toss a touch pass to Evans over the middle, and Tashaun Gipson snagged it out of the air.
Two plays later, McCaffrey took a routine handoff, cut back and raced 38 yards for an easy TD, extending the 49ers' lead to 35. It represented all that went wrong for the Bucs, and all that went right for San Francisco on Sunday, with Tampa Bay's offensive woes leading almost directly to points for the opposition.
Play of the game
Give it to Purdy, who had several beautiful downfield shots, but none prettier than his first TD to McCaffrey, in which the ball landed exactly where the running back needed it streaking along the sideline:
What's next
The 49ers (9-4), still atop the NFC West, will visit their rival Seahawks on Thursday night to kick off Week 15. Seattle fell to 7-6 on Sunday, falling to the underdog Panthers. The Buccaneers (6-7), meanwhile, will host the high-flying Bengals (9-4), who have won five straight after routing the Browns on Sunday.