San Francisco 49ers: 4 Reasons 49ers Should Be Wary of Bucs

The San Francisco 49ers will have the opportunity this Sunday to avenge the beating they received last season at the hands of the Bucs. The Bucs not only defeated the 49ers, they completely embarrassed them.

A good amount of the 49ers players from last season are still with the team and if ever there was a time to take a game personally, this is the game to do so. 

The 49ers have to demonstrate to the Bucs that they are true contenders and if a victor will be made, that team will leave this game battered and bruised. The 49ers didn't show any character or heart in their 21-0 defeat to the Bucs in 2010. 

Minus Troy Smith, the 49ers return an offense largely unchanged in terms of player personnel but their philosophy on this end has changed dramatically. We can thank Jim Harbaugh for this change. Mike Singletary desired to play smash mouth football and nothing else, but Harbaugh instead used this philosophy as the base of his offense. 

Some say Harbaugh is nothing more than a Singletary clone but I disagree. Each game, the 49ers seemed to have a plan and that wasn't present with Singletary at the helm. 

Like the last four games, Harbaugh will formulate a plan to expose this young Bucs team. The problem for the Niners is that the Bucs will do the same. The Bucs head to San Francisco after their narrow defeat of the Colts on Monday night, so it will be a short week for this young squad.

Despite the short week, this is the most talented team (without dysfunction) the 49ers will have faced thus far in the early season.  

Aerial Attack

Josh Freeman is a rising star in this league but his stats show otherwise. Freeman has already thrown four interceptions in the early part of this season but only threw six interceptions all season last year. He was revered for his ability to limit turnovers last season but that hasn't been the case this season. 

Despite a spike in his interception total, I fully expect the Bucs to air it out this Sunday. The 49ers overall have a solid defense but their weakness lies in that secondary. Michael Vick threw for 416 yards (171 yards to DeSean Jackson alone), sprained hand and all.

The 49ers are ranked 27th against the pass and I'm sure Freeman has noticed that statistic in between his "flowery" praises of the 49ers front seven.

Expect Raheem Morris to attack this weak 49ers secondary. 

Run Stoppers

The 49ers are known for possessing a stingy run defense, having not allowed a 100-yard rusher in their last 26 games. The Bucs can't say the same, but they still have a solid run defense. They're ranked 11th against the run and Raheem Morris will focus on shutting down the heart and soul of that 49ers offense, Frank Gore. 

Gore has had a shaky start to the season but that wasn't the case last week against the Eagles. He had his first 100-plus-yard rushing game of the season and was very effective against the Eagles during critical possessions. 

The Bucs will try to force Alex Smith to win this game, and that may not be in the best interest of the 49ers. 

Offensive Line Woes

The 49ers offensive line has struggled mightily this season. The line rebounded quite nicely in the second half of their comeback victory over the Eagles but Jason Babin still recorded three sacks last Sunday. 

While the entire line has played poorly, the right side worries me more than anything. Niners fans likely didn't notice, but right guard Chilo Rachal was benched in favor of Adam Snyder. Chilo has been the epitome of inconsistency and it was a decision long overdue.

In addition, 2010 first-round selection Anthony Davis continues to struggle on the right side. Davis struggled to contain Babin last Sunday and may struggle against the plethora of young guns that the Bucs possess in their front seven. 

Similar to the 49ers, the Bucs have a very dangerous and deep defensive line. There isn't a star pass-rusher on this Bucs team as of yet, but they have plenty of lineman that can get after the quarterback in a hurry.

Rookie Adrian Clayborn is a star in the making and will give the 49ers fits up front. 

Freeman the Superhero

Josh Freeman is simply clutch. His play seems to always elevate in the fourth quarter and that is an attribute all great quarterbacks have. 

I expect this game to be a very close contest, and if that indeed occurs, the 49ers may be in trouble.