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49ers look pedestrian with win over Buccaneers in Christian McCaffrey's return | Inside Coverage

Jason Fitz & Frank Schwab check in on the San Francisco 49ers after their 23-20 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday. Superstar RB Christian McCaffrey was back in action for the 49ers with his season debut, but he and the 49ers both looked average, despite the win over another NFC hopeful. Frank & Jason discuss if this 49ers team is still shaking off the rust from their Super Bowl loss earlier this year and if they can truly challenge the surging Arizona Cardinals.

Hear the full conversation on “Inside Coverage” - and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you listen.

Video Transcript

Uh are we scared now of the 49er with Christian mccaffrey back?

They beat Tampa Bay 2320.

Jake Moody missed three field goals but man, uh they weren't easing mccaffrey in now for sure.

Like he was a huge part of the game plan.

It just wasn't, it wasn't there like the usual pop like Tampa Bay came with the thunder of the gods and they weren't gonna let him run on them and they did a really nice job of that and this was an official, it was, it was a fine win for the 49er, but I didn't walk away from it, especially against the Bucks team that's just decimated.

You've said, hey, Tampa Bay is not gonna go away.

They're gonna play hard every week.

They showed that again, but I didn't walk away with this with more faith than the 49ers.

They just got to knock a lot of rust off in very little time.

Yeah, I, I feel like the 49 Ers are just that team.

I'm gonna keep waiting on and waiting on and waiting on it.

It just might never, might never get there for them this year.

I, I just, I look at the names on the back of the jerseys and I'm like, this is a really good football team, but where is it?

Like you barely beat the Buccaneers who, like you said, even they lost or worse in this game to go along with the receiver injuries.

Uh, they could have easily lost this game at the Buccaneers punching a touchdown at the end, but they settle for a field goal.

Uh You know, Jake Moody misses three field goals and demo Samuels trying to fight him on the sideline and stuff like it's just been a weird season for the 49er.

They're, they're hanging around.

So it's not like the Jets where they're just done, they're hanging around.

They, I still think they're gonna win the division, I guess.

But some of that is chasing a ghost where we haven't seen that 49ers team this season.

We have not seen them be dominant yet.

Ed maybe it's coming but we're mid November.

Like if, if it hasn't happened yet, why, why would it happen next week?

So, I don't know, I don't know where I am on the 49er.

This was, this was one of those games where it's like, ok, you won and I know it's the, the Buccaneers.

Look, the Buccaneers beat the Lions should have beat the Chiefs.

They're not a bad football team in any way.

But at the same time, if, if, if this 49ers team is going to get going and get on a roll.

You'd like, you'd like better than beating the Buccaneers on a field goal, less play of the game.

I mean, I think we can both agree that the 49ers right now are nowhere near where the Cardinals are in the same division.

Probably.

Yeah.

I mean, the Cardinals just, probably, probably mean if the 49ers play the card, if the 49ers play the Cardinals out of neutral tomorrow, you really pick the Cardinals.

I, I guess you almost have to.

But, man, I don't know.

Again, I'm just, I'm just chasing the idea of the 49ers more than the actuality of the 49er this season.

Right?

Like, and, and that's tough.

It's tough to get out of my mind that this team was so good last year and even in the past three years, you know, I mean, they've been so good.

It's just weird to be that, you know.

Yeah, they've had some injuries but I wouldn't say that this 49ers team is overly injured as far as, like, compared to the rest of the NFL.

Yeah, Brandon, I huge loss but Juan Jennings is a good player.

He stepped right in like, they, everything's hurt at this point in the season.

The 49er aren't like, oh, we have 10 starters out like this is kind of who the 49ers are and they just should be better than this by now.

Uh, yeah, you're, you're 1000% right.

They should be better and Arizona is better.