There wasn’t much question about what the San Francisco 49ers needed to do Sunday when they visited the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The 49ers were 4-4 and getting healthy coming off their Bye week to face a beat up Buccaneers team coming off an overtime loss on the road to the Kansas City Chiefs. Losing Sunday’s game wasn’t really an option for a team that fancies itself a Super Bowl contender.

San Francisco pulled out a 23-20 win in a wild game at Raymond James Stadium, but there were some lingering takeaways from the contest that will matter down the stretch as the 49ers continue their quest for a fourth-consecutive postseason berth:

CMC looks good

Christian McCaffrey’s return couldn’t have gone much better for the 49ers. He was never off the field for long stretches, and he racked up 19 touches, including six receptions. Quarterback Brock Purdy found him for some easy check downs which helped the passing game, and the 49ers’ run game just looks more fluid with McCaffrey running it. San Francisco only carried 22 times for 75 yards overall, but it wasn’t going to be perfect in McCaffrey’s first game back. Overall, signs of a breakout are there with McCaffrey back in the mix.

Jauan Jennings is ready

Jennings has erased any doubts about his ability to fill in as the 49ers’ No. 2 starting wide receiver. He hauled in seven of his 11 targets for 93 yards, including a big 13-yard catch-and-run on the final drive that turned a 50-plus yard field goal into a 44-yard try that kicker Jake Moody connected on for the win. Expect more big games from Jennings down the stretch.

Red zone issues still

McCaffrey’s return was supposed to help the 49ers’ red zone woes. It didn’t help much Sunday with San Francisco going just one-for-three inside the Tampa Bay 20. They still appear to lack creativity there and for the run game continues to be a non-factor when they’re in the red zone. This is the single biggest issue facing the 49ers the rest of the way.

Secondary steps up

Enough can’t be said about the job the 49ers’ secondary has done this season. They were very good again Sunday even with Charvarius Ward out. Rookie Renardo Green and Isaac Yiadom started at the two outside corner spots with Deommodore Lenoir playing in the slot. Bucs QB Baker Mayfield threw for only 116 yards and had a long completion of 15 yards. Tampa Bay’s wide receivers had four catches for 28 yards on 10 targets. That group is very beat up for the Buccaneers, but the 49ers did a good job locking them down.

More special teams mishaps

One reason the game got away from the 49ers was rookie wide receiver Jacob Cowing muffing a punt in the third quarter. That gave the Buccaneers a short field and they capitalized with a 21-yard touchdown drive to tie the game 10-10 early in the third.

Moody was also an issue for the 49ers in his first game back from a high ankle sprain he suffered in Week 5. He missed three field goals and put San Francisco in a tough spot after a handful of their drives stalled out. Head coach Kyle Shanahan gave Moody a vote of confidence after the game, but we may see the 49ers manage some drives differently in an attempt to not need to rely on Moody down the stretch.

Stayed in the playoff hunt

There’ll be plenty of consternation about how the 49ers won Sunday’s game, but the fact remains they stayed in the playoff hunt just 0.5 games back of the Arizona Cardinals for the top spot in the NFC West. A Rams loss Monday night moves the 49ers into second place in the division. A loss for the 49ers on Sunday would have put them well behind the curve in the division, and even further down a perilously steep cliff standing between them and a wild card spot. It wasn’t pretty, but it was a victory they needed.

This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: 6 things that mattered in 49ers last-second win over Buccaneers