The Tampa Bay Buccaneers acknowledge that the San Francisco 49ers were the last team they expected to see as their second-round playoff opponent this season.
But then, for more than three quarters of last Sunday’s NFC wild-card game between the 49ers and the New York Giants, the Bucs had plenty of company.
Where that puts Tampa Bay’s mind-set Sunday when they play the 49ers (11-6) can probably be offset by the question of whether the 49ers have touched ground since pulling off the second-biggest playoff comeback in NFL history.
“I wanted them to enjoy this win because I think they can take something from it,” 49ers coach Steve Mariucci said. “You don’t get many opportunities to dig yourself out of a hole quite like that.
“The next time we’re down in a game, we can remember that we’ve been able to do it before against a really good team.”
No one is expecting the NFL’s No. 1-ranked defense to give up a 24-point lead, much less allow 39 points.
But the matchup between San Francisco’s Jeff Garcia, Terrell Owens & Co. vs. Tampa Bay’s Warren Sapp, Derrick Brooks and friends figures to be where the game is decided.
It’s the first meeting between the teams since the 1997 season opener, when Tampa Bay won 13-7 after knocking Steve Young and Jerry Rice out of the game.
Owens did not need nine catches for 177 yards and two touchdowns against the Giants to get Ronde Barber’s attention.
But the Bucs’ cornerback said the mobile Garcia, who was sacked only 22 times this season and is best in the 49ers’ frenetic no-huddle offense, is their first concern.
“The Giants had no answers for him,” Barber said. “He won that game for them, regardless of the plays the receivers made.”
The Bucs (12-4) became the first team since the 1985 Bears to lead the league in total defense, fewest points allowed and interceptions, in addition to being the No. 1 overall pass defense.
Sapp said it’s no coincidence that they’ve been successful at stopping scrambling quarterbacks.
“It’s because they torched us in ’98,” Sapp said. “We had to practice at this. We let a lot of quarterbacks out in ’98, ’99. We did a lot of crazy things.
“[New head coach] Jon Gruden put that film back on for us, knowing that we would have to chase [Michael] Vick twice, [Aaron] Brooks twice, [Donovan] McNabb once–all the great quarterbacks in the league who are mobile. And we have not let one guy kill us with his legs.
“If you can beat us with your arm, then that goes on us for not rushing and not covering, but out of the pocket is all on us. Garcia is good at what he does, but we’re good at what we do.”
The 49ers dropped four of their final seven games of the regular season and two of their final three before beating the Giants, a slide Mariucci blames in part on looking ahead to the postseason after clinching their division.
His defense will have to overcome the expected boost the Bucs’ offense will get with the return of starting quarterback Brad Johnson, who has not played a game in four weeks while nursing a bruised lower back.
Johnson was the NFC’s top-rated passer, throwing for 3,049 yards and a club-record 22 touchdowns with only six interceptions.
“I don’t think there’s a fresher quarterback in the league than myself right now,” he said “I feel about as sharp as I can going into a game.”
Still, the Bucs ranked 24th in total offense this season, while the 49ers were 14th in total defense, although the injury-riddled 49ers secondary struggled against Kerry Collins and the Giants last week.
Cornerback Ahmed Plummer, playing with a groin injury, allowed Amani Toomer to make eight catches for 136 yards and three first-half TDs.
At the other corner, Jason Webster is expected to play despite an ankle injury that kept him out of practice Wednesday and Thursday.
“I don’t see [the 49ers] doing much,” Toomer said. “We exploited them throughout the game. They have a lot of holes.”
Maybe so, but the Bucs were wondering how the Giants allowed the 49ers to erase that 24-point deficit and win last week.
“Whenever you have a chance to put somebody away, you put them away,” Sapp said. “As defenders, that wasn’t football. We’re not used to watching those 80-point games. It doesn’t happen. But anything is possible.”
“It was impressive what the 49ers did, but the Giants just melted down and you can’t do that,” Bucs safety John Lynch added. “I don’t think that will be a problem [for us].”
49ers (11-6) at Buccaneers (12-4)
How they match up
CATEGORY SF TB
Total offense 356.3 (8) 312.6 (24)
Scoring offense 22.9 (13) 21.6 (17)
Rushing offense 140.2 (6) 97.3 (26)
Passing offense 216.1 (14) 215.3 (15)
1st downs/game 21.4 (6) 17.9 (23)
3rd down pct. 52.3 (1) 35.6 (26)
4th down pct. 61.5 (7) 66.7 (6)
Time of poss. 32.00 (4) 31.43 (11)
Total defense 322.3 (14) 252.7 (1)
Scoring defense 21.9 (18) 12.2 (1)
Rushing defense 103.2 (7) 97.1 (6)
Passing defense 219.1 (22) 155.6 (1)
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49ERS INJURIES
Questionable: CB Jason Webster (ankle).
Probable: S Zack Bronson (foot); T Derrick Deese (ankle); DE Sean Moran (Achilles); WR Terrell Owens (groin); LB Saleem Rasheed (thigh); G Ron Stone (ankle).
BUCCANEERS INJURIES
Questionable: WR Charles Lee (foot).
