The San Francisco 49ers have been locked in a slugfest against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium. However, kicker Jake Moody has had a tough first game back from injury, as he's missed three of his five chances in Sunday's matchup. After a third miss that would have extended the 49ers lead to six points, wide receiver Deebo Samuel confronted Moody and long snapper Taybor Pepper. It led to a confrontation captured by reporter Ollie Connolly on X, formerly Twitter.
“Deebo Samuel grabbed the neck of long snapper Taybor Pepper and swiped at kicker Jake Moody after a third missed field goal,” Connolly posted on the social media site.
Luckily, Moody redeemed himself with a game winning kick as time expired, squeaking in a 44-yard attempt to lift the Niners for a 23-20 win in Tampa. Nevertheless, tensions were high once again for head coach Kyle Shanahan's team, and they almost collapsed late in the fourth quarter against the Bucs. If not for quarterback Brock Purdy and Moody, they would not have won on Sunday. Can the team right itself before their divisional tilt with the Seattle Seahawks next Sunday? That rivalry is always a tough one for the Niners, and they will need to be locked in to dispatch the Hawks at home.
49ers need to be locked in for tough upcoming slate
After the matchup against Seattle at home, the Niners still face road trips to face the Green Bay Packers, Buffalo Bills and Miami Dolphins. Furthermore, home tilts against the Bears, Rams and Lions will be difficult ones as well. If the 49ers make it back to the postseason, it will certainly be well earned. The issue is this: was Samuel's outburst just one done in the heat of the moment, or something worse than that?
Moody certainly is just the latest in a long line of kickers to struggle in the Tampa Bay humidity, and he won't be the last. He just returned from a high ankle sprain sustained a few weeks ago, and the Niners did not have another kicker to take his place. Furthermore, San Francisco did ultimately win due to Moody, as well as Purdy and the offense.
Connolly also posted Samuel's reaction after Moody made the game-winner. It wasn't a surprising one.
In a season that is only going to get tougher moving forward, Shanahan and his coaching staff need to help get their team back on track. They beat a shorthanded Bucs squad on Sunday, but that won't happen against healthier teams over the remainder of the season. In order to win the division and make it back to the playoffs, then San Francisco needs to lock in. The sooner, the better.
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