Special teams rears its ugly head in 49ers' Week 10 win vs. Buccaneers

It appears as if special teams didn't benefit from the bye week, causing more problems for the 49ers in Week 10 against the Buccaneers.

The San Francisco 49ers' special teams group was nothing short of atrocious for the first few weeks of the season.

While this overlooked-but-crucial third phase of the game had some modest improvements nearing the Week 9 bye, special teams appeared to be just as much an Achilles heel for head coach Kyle Shanahan and Co. after the break, committing multiple gaffes in a critical Week 10 road game against a very beatable Tampa Bay Buccaneers squad.

The Niners pulled off a walk-off win over the Bucs, 23-20, to improve to 5-4 on the season. And while the story of the game could have been All-Pro running back Christian McCaffrey's return from an eight-week absence because of Achilles issues, or rookie wide receiver Ricky Pearsall's first-ever NFL touchdown, special teams somehow made sure it was the centerpiece.

And not for good reasons.

Another player returning from injury, kicker Jake Moody, missed from 49 yards out just before halftime, which cast an even bigger shadow after his replacement kickers in the weeks prior made all their field-goal tries.

To make things worse, Moody missed yet again in the fourth quarter, this time from 50 yards out after San Francisco had surrendered the lead.

Then again in the fourth quarter from 44 yards out.

That's right, three missed field goals. At least he redeemed himself with the game-winner as time expired, although wide receiver Deebo Samuel probably preferred the game not to be that close.

But, an even bigger gaffe occurred not long into the second half when special teams gunner Darrell Luter Jr. bumped into return specialist Jacob Cowing on a punt, leading to a muff Tampa Bay recovered:

It wasn't unlike the gaffe Luter and San Francisco's special teams experienced on a similar play against the Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl last February.

The Buccaneers capitalized on the play not long thereafter, tacking on their first touchdown of the day to tie the game.

The 49ers struggled on offense for much of the game, generating that lone first-half touchdown via Pearsall but again having issues down in the red zone, ultimately finishing 1-of-3 in this area of the field. And the Niners' run defense became a liability in the second half, as Bucs head coach Todd Bowles went again his usual modus operandi and attacked San Francisco on the ground to great effect.

Still, the conversation stemming from this game will be yet even more special teams woes that nearly cost the 49ers a game they should have otherwise dominated.

Fortunately, Moody made up for the misses with his game-winning boot. But the Niners should have never been in that position to begin with.

Read more from Niner Noise