49ers at Buccaneers
Back from a knee injury that derailed most of his 2018 season, Jimmy Garoppolo enters a crucial year under center for the San Francisco 49ers, who open play at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday. After going 5-0 as a starter with the Niners in 2017 and then signing a $137.5 million deal prior to last season, Garoppolo played in just three games before tearing the ACL on his left knee, crushing San Francisco's hopes for a rise up the NFC West standings.
"That is what it is, and now he's done the work to be healthy, but Jimmy hasn't played a lot of football," coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters. "Everyone knows he's a good player and knows he's talented, but we've got to go through some situations and go through playing the position. I'm just so pumped that he's healthy again." The Niners went 3-10 without Garoppolo to finish out of the playoffs for the fifth consecutive year but hope that a full season of health for the 27-year-old signal-caller can turn things around. Tampa Bay's playoff drought is much longer at 12 years and it has turned to new head coach Bruce Arians to help end it. Jameis Winston enters his fifth season as the team's starting quarterback and will be surrounded by a handful of weapons, including Pro Bowler Mike Evans, who was third in the NFL with 1,524 yards in 2018.
TV: 4:25 p.m. ET, FOX. LINE: Bucanners -1. O/U: 50.5
ABOUT THE 49ERS (2018: 4-12, 3RD IN NFC WEST): While Garoppolo's comeback is drawing plenty of attention, San Francisco also hopes to put opposing quarterbacks under severe pressure with a revamped defensive unit featuring newly signed edge rusher Dee Ford and No. 2 overall pick Nick Bosa. Ford had 13 sacks with Kansas City a year ago before signing with the Niners while Bosa, who is battling an ankle injury, was a standout at Ohio State. Fourth-year defensive end DeForest Buckner had a team-high 12 sacks a year ago.
ABOUT THE BUCCANEERS (2018: 5-11, 4TH IN NFC SOUTH): Tampa Bay may need a good start to stay relevant later in the year, as the schedule-makers handed the team a brutal stretch from late September through early November in which it goes without a home game for nearly 50 days. It starts with back-to-back road games at the Los Angeles Rams and New Orleans Saints, followed by a "home" game with the Carolina Panthers in London, a bye week and then road games at Tennessee and Seattle. The Buccaneers were 1-7 on the road each of the last two years.
EXTRA POINTS
1. San Francisco TE George Kittle led all players at his position with 1,377 yards last year.
2. The Buccaneers allowed an NFC-high 29 points per game in 2018.
3. Tampa Bay won the last two meetings, including a 27-9 triumph last Nov. 25 in which Winston threw for 312 yards and two TDs.