49ers preview: Can Mullens outscore Bucs without top WRs Goodwin and Garcon?
By Chris Wilson
Niner Noise previews the San Francisco 49ers’ Week 12 matchup with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, including key stats, players to watch, X-factors, injury news and how to watch the game live.
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Nick Mullens will likely miss his two top wide receivers, Marquise Goodwin and Pierre Garcon, for the Niners’ Week 12 showdown with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The 49ers will also play without former star linebacker Reuben Foster, who was released by the team this morning after he was arrested last night on domestic abuse charges.
Mullens will need all potential offensive firepower at his disposal, as the 49ers face the Bucs’ high-powered offense, led by quarterback Jameis Winston, who will start for Tampa Bay in place of fellow QB Ryan Fitzpatrick. Winston replaced Fitzpatrick in the third quarter of last week’s game after the veteran quarterback threw three interceptions during Tampa Bay’s contest with the New York Giants.
Garcon was an expected scratch from Sunday’s matchup after he missed practice all week as the wideout continues to recover from knee and shoulder injuries. However, Goodwin was expected to play against the Bucs, as his current absence from the team is not injury-related.
Goodwin was excused from Monday’s practice due to a personal issue, but returned later in the week, and made the trip with the team to Tampa Bay for today’s game. However, Goodwin reportedly traveled back to the Bay Area to deal with his personal issue and is currently listed as doubtful on the 49ers’ official injury report.
If Goodwin is unable to return to Tampa Bay in time for the game’s early kickoff, rookie wide receiver Dante Pettis and second-year wideout Kendrick Bourne will likely start for San Francisco. Without Goodwin, expect Mullens to look to his favorite target — tight end George Kittle — in key situations, and for 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan to rely heavily on running back Matt Breida and the Niners’ rushing attack.
Beyond bragging rights, Sunday’s matchup between with 3-7 Buccaneers and the 2-8 49ers will have draft-order implications. Despite their similar records, San Francisco currently holds the top pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, while Tampa Bay is slotted to receive pick No. 8, due to strength-of-schedule tiebreaking rules.
Similar to Tampa Bay, the Niners — who had a bye in Week 11 — played their last game against New York. Check out Niner Noise’s game recap and highlights and post-game grades and analysis for a breakdown of the 49ers’ Week 10 loss to the Giants, including highlights of the game and full position grades.
After opening the week as 3-point favorites, the Bucs are now favored over the 49ers by 1.5 points, per OddsShark.
Let’s break down the important statistics you need to know about the San Francisco 49ers’ Week 12 opponent, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers: