San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy is about to play the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for the second time in his career.
Guaranteed, the second time won’t be as high-profile an occassion as the first.
A year ago, the Bucs were visiting the Niners at Levi’s Stadium in a game that was supposed to be future Hall of Fame quarterback Tom Brady’s homecoming, a chance to show off against his boyhood team in the region where he grew up.
Meanwhile, Purdy was making his first-ever NFL start. And, as the final pick of that year’s NFL Draft, Purdy shouldn’t have stood a chance.
Except San Francisco walloped Brady, and Purdy etched himself into the accolade book, becoming the first quarterback to defeat the GOAT while making his first NFL start.
For Week 11 in 2023, there won’t be the fanfare. Brady is retired, Purdy is an established NFL quarterback, and essentially the only drama that preludes the game is whether or not edge Nick Bosa will reheat his rivalry with Bucs current quarterback, Baker Mayfield.It sounds like he won’t.
Regardless, here’s what fans will want to know about Sunday’s contest between San Francisco and Tampa Bay.
The 49ers had only two players ruled out for Sunday’s tilt: left guard Aaron Banks (turf toe) and offensive lineman Nick Zakelj (biceps).
Zakelj will land on injured reserve after undergoing season-ending surgery, and the Niners also promoted to rookies: cornerback Darrell Luter Jr. and offensive lineman Corey Luciano.
Luter was previously on the reserve/PUP list with a knee injury suffered during offseason activities.
The oddsmakers at FanDuel increased the spread for the home-field favorite, now making San Francisco a 12.5-point favorite.
The 49ers’ moneyline is -700, while the Buccaneers’ moneyline is +500.
The over/under for the game is 41.5.
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
Fox will broadcast Sunday’s contest between the Niners and Bucs, which kicks off on Nov. 19 at 4:05 p.m. ET from Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California.
Joe Davis will do play-by-play, while Daryl Johnston will handle color commentary. Pam Oliver will be on the sidelines.
Almost all of Northern California will receive the TV broadcast, and many other regions throughout the US will, too:
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