That wasn’t what the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were looking for in their 23-20 loss to the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday. This was the Bucs’ third loss of the season, and it hurts even more knowing they could have gained the upper hand against the Falcons after their loss to the Saints. Unfortunately for the Bucs, this loss puts them at 4-6 on the season, and while a much easier schedule appears to be on the horizon after the Week 11 bye, the Buccaneers’ problems appear to be more internal than anything else.

Suspensions, miscommunication and technical issues have plagued this team for the last four weeks, and unless things turn around at the bye, it won’t matter who plays on either side of the ball. Here are this week’s three ups and three downs.

OT Justin Skule

It’s probably the name you’re expecting to see on this list, but Skule deserves its flowers. When All-Pro left tackle Tristan Wirfs went down with a knee injury in the second quarter, Skule stepped in and covered in his place. The Bucs were able to move the ball on the ground and through the air with Skule in the game and didn’t have any negative plays in terms of sacks or penalties. Replacing someone of Wirfs’ caliber is a difficult situation, but Skule handled the task well.

DB Tavierre Thomas

Thomas made a tremendous one-on-one play in the first minutes of the second half, blocking his man on a punt returner on special teams. The interception caused the ball to touch a 49ers receiver and become a live ball that was recovered by Anthony Nelson. The Bucs then took four plays to tie the game at 10, sending the ball into the end zone from 21 yards out. This was Thomas’ second special teams game of the year. He also blocked a field goal against the Falcons in Week 5.

RBs Bucky Irving and Rachaad White

The Bucs’ two-headed monster got his way with the 49ers defense both on the ground and through the air on Sunday. Coming into their matchup, the Niners had the NFL’s sixth-best rushing defense, allowing just 105.8 yards per game. The duo of White and Irving rushed for a total of 104 yards on the day, led by Irving’s 73 yards. Both full-backs were heavily involved in the passing game. White had a nine-yard touchdown run in the third quarter, while the duo of Irving and White each had receptions of more than 10 yards. White finished with six catches for 39 yards and a score, while Irving added 3 catches for 14 yards.

READ MORE: Buccaneers Starting Cornerback Receives Important Injury Update After 49ers Loss

CB Josh Hayes

Another week, another tough game for cornerback Josh Hayes. Hayes was consistently out of coverage, allowing multiple third down conversions. A defensive holding penalty negated a big third down stop on the second drive in the first quarter, giving the Niners a first down. But his rough play wasn’t just limited to defence; He also made a mistake on special teams and received an illegal formation penalty on the kickoff after the Bucs tied the game with just 41 seconds left.

Zyon McCollum

Zyon McCollum has excelled defensively at the All-Pro level this season, but he had perhaps his worst game on Sunday. McCollum had struggled a lot that day before leaving the game late in the fourth quarter with a hamstring injury. He missed big tackles against Christian McCaffrey and Jauan Jennings, which led to first downs. McCollum also received two defensive penalties that day. The first was a defensive pass interference call that gave the Niners momentum on their way to scoring in the second quarter; the second was an illegal contact call in the third quarter. A hamstring strain sidelined him from the rest of the game, but it was McCollum’s first tough game of the season.

QB Baker Mayfield

Other than some late-game Superman antics, it was a tough day for cooking. Mayfield finished with just 116 yards on 16 of 28 passes and one touchdown. He missed several throws throughout the entire game, either going short or over the head of his intended receiver. He struggled to get loose in the backfield and was sacked twice on the day and had two fumbles, once on a fly and the other on a backwards pass, and fortunately the Bucs were able to recover. As a result, Mayfield kept the Bucs in the game, but he also made it much harder for the offense to find a consistent rhythm.

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