The Standard’s 5 fast predictions

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If the 49ers’ last trip to Tampa is any indication, Sunday’s matchup between a pair of first-place teams won’t be boring.

Last year’s game between the 49ers and Bucs ended on Jake Moody’s game-winning field goal, but that’s hardly the only memory fans have of Moody from San Francisco’s 23-20 victory.

Minutes before he connected from 44 yards, the kicker was involved in a sideline altercation with longsnapper Taybor Pepper and wide receiver Deebo Samuel, who confronted the duo following Moody’s third missed attempt of the game.

Eleven months later, the 49ers will travel back to Raymond James Stadium to take on the Bucs, but none of the three players who took part in the fracas are still with the team.

What’s in store for this Sunday? Here are our predictions.

Kawakami: Jake Tonges. Yeah, I’m fairly shocked by this pick, too, but the 49ers have scored 10 touchdowns so far this season — and Tonges has 30% of them. Mac Jones obviously likes throwing it to him and this might be their last game as frontline guys together.

Lombardi: Christian McCaffrey. The 49ers have significant injury concerns at quarterback. Brock Purdy didn’t practice this week and almost certainly won’t play, while Jones seemed very limited. During Thursday’s session, for example, he didn’t even throw — 49ers QB coach Mick Lombardi had to throw for him during warmups. Anyway, this sets up for a huge McCaffrey load. (What else is new?)

Kawakami: Mykel Williams. I’m done trying (and failing) to guess which 49er will get the defense’s first interception of the season. I’ll go with somebody who’ll have major responsibility trying to keep Baker Mayfield contained in the pocket. And maybe Williams will pick up his first career sack in the process.

Lombardi: Fred Warner. Defensive back Chase Lucas had some lavish praise for the future Hall of Fame linebacker on Thursday.

“He’s not one of the best — he’s the best player ever to play football,” Lucas said of Warner.

OK then. Pick made.

Kawakami: The kickoff recently getting pushed back to 1:25 p.m. PT. The 49ers haven’t been awful in 10 a.m. body-clock starts over the years, but no West Coast team is at its liveliest on those bright-and-early Eastern Time Zone starts. This got moved back a few weeks ago for TV purposes and I imagine there was applause at 49ers HQ when it happened.

Lombardi: I agree with Tim but for a different reason: The later start means that it’ll be dark for the finish of this game. With humid, 85-degree weather in the forecast for Sunday in Tampa, that’s a big deal. The Bucs elected to wear their road white jerseys to mitigate the heat; that’s forced the 49ers into their first game of the season wearing their home reds. This promises to be a close game, so a cooler finish might loom very significant.

Kawakami: Brian Robinson Jr. carries. Can the 49ers get him the ball 10+ times? His season-high so far is nine carries in Week 1 against Seattle. If BRJ gets downhill a few times early, that could lead to giving McCaffrey more of a breather and maybe some good Robinson running late. Which the 49ers might need.

Lombardi: 49ers’ pass attempts. Jones dropped back a staggering 56 times and attempted 49 passes against the Rams. Though the 49ers have somehow found a way to 4-1 despite leading the NFL with more than 40 passes per game, this formula is not a good one for preserving QB health. Tampa Bay coach Todd Bowles is a frequent blitzer and he almost always coordinates a good run defense. But this aggressive blitzing can open the door for some explosive gains on the ground. The 49ers need to limit their QB drop-back exposure. Their longest run of the year is only 19 yards.

Kawakami: Tampa Bay 27, 49ers 24. With these two teams, I can’t picture anything but a seesaw game down to the wire. It’s not easy picking against a 49ers team that has proven its late-game gumption, but Mayfield is a tough guy to beat when you don’t have your best.

Lombardi: 49ers 27, Buccaneers 24. The 49ers are still shorthanded, but they will be returning receiver Jauan Jennings, safety Malik Mustapha, and defensive tackle Kevin Givens. QB health is obviously a concern, but Tampa Bay’s defense is leaking oil due to back-end injuries of its own. And there’s a matchup to exploit on the other side: Bucs right tackle Charlie Heck has allowed the second-most pressures in the NFL. Can the 49ers scrounge up enough pressure to goad Mayfield, a gunslinger, into a mistake? And can they actually catch an interception this time? I say yes. I’m done betting against these 49ers.