This was a huge game for the San Francisco 49ers, as they capped Fleet Week with a mauling of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The 49ers defense held the Bucs to a single first-quarter field goal and totally shut down Tampa's offense.
In fact, Tampa Bay only managed 14 first downs during the game and seemed to spend the whole game on their third down. They converted seven of 16 third downs and failed to convert their only fourth-down attempt.
San Francisco quarterbacks Alex Smith and Colin Kaepernick combined for 205 passing yards, compared to Tampa's 186. Smith threw three touchdowns and no interceptions.
The true disparity between the two teams was in the running games. San Francisco put together 213 rushing yards while holding the Bucs to a scant 86 yards on the ground. Frank Gore did the bulk of the running for the Niners, with 20 carries for 125 yards and a touchdown. Josh Morgan was the receiving star of the day for the 49ers, averaging 15 yards per catch as he racked up 75 yards.
The San Francisco defense also contributed more than their fair share, as Carlos Rogers had a 31-yard pick-six at the beginning of the second quarter. Chris Culliver also had an interception and picked up 23 yards on the play. Aldon Smith picked up two sacks on the day.