The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and San Francisco 49ers clashed at Raymond James Stadium for a showdown between two of the NFC’s top contenders. Both teams entered this game with a 4-1 record. Historically, teams that start the season 5-1 make the playoffs over 90 percent of the time, so a win today would be big for both squads.

This game was a thriller from start to finish. The Buccaneers had the edge for most of the game, but every time the 49ers needed a score, they got one. That is, until their last possession of the game, where Jamel Dean picked off Mac Jones on fourth down to give the ball back to Tampa up eight.

While fans could have asked for a better game on a Sunday Night Football, in the end, Tampa got it done and advanced to 5-1 on the season. Here were my takeaways from Sunday’s game.

49ers’ Fred Warner injured

The 49ers have been absolutely decimated with injuries this season. Brock Purdy, Ricky Pearsall, George Kittle, Nick Bosa, and Brandon Aiyuk are just a few names that have missed at least some time this season, and now, All-Pro linebacker Fred Warner looks like he’s going to miss extended time.

Warner went down with a nasty ankle injury early in the game today. He was immediately put in an air cast and carted off the field. He suffered a dislocated right ankle, and while it’s unclear how much time he’ll miss, it should be at least a few weeks, if not longer.

All the other injuries have hurt, but this one really stings. Warner was arguably the best available player for the 49ers. They have quality depth and have been able to win games despite their injuries, but you never want to lose someone like Warner.

ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED?

If Baker Mayfield didn’t do enough to impress you last week when he threw for 379 yards and two touchdowns with basically no run game, I hope your opinion changed this week.

I don’t even want to talk about his stats. Just look at these two plays.

With the Buccaneers backed up on third down, Mayfield dropped back to pass and somehow escaped multiple defenders on his way to a 15-yard first-down run.

Then, two plays later, he throws an absolute bomb 53 yards through the air to Tez Johnson for his first NFL touchdown.

Baker Mayfield is just awesome. That’s all I have to say.

Kendrick Bourne WR1?

We briefly discussed the 49ers’ injury woes, but one positive that has emerged from it is Kendrick Bourne’s development.

With Ricky Pearsall, Brandon Aiyuk, and George Kittle out (and Jauan Jennings not 100 percent), Bourne has been thrust into a big role. Coming into last week, Bourne had just eight catches for 87 yards, but went off for 10 catches and 142 yards in the 49ers’ win over the Los Angeles Rams. This week, he did it again.

Bourne led the 49ers in receiving for the second week in a row, catching five passes for 142 yards. Obviously, the 49ers would love to get some of their top pass catchers back sooner rather than later, but they need to make sure they keep Bourne involved, because he’s proving to be an excellent option out wide.

Mac Jones came back down to Earth

After three weeks of unforgettable performances, Mac Jones has come back down to Earth.

Jones still threw for nearly 350 yards, but it didn’t feel like he was ever really on. He threw a couple of big interceptions – especially the second one, where he seemed to have a receiver pretty open on the right side of the field AND Jake Tonges open in the flat, but instead, he threw it into triple coverage and was picked off.

I’ll give him a bit of a pass because he was injured, but he still just didn’t play all that well. I think he’ll be fine and can get back to playing elite football, but today, Tampa made him look human.

I’m all in on Tampa

Alright, it’s official. I’m all in on Tampa Bay.

I’ve been skeptical. The Bucs had won all four of their games with a score in the final two minutes coming into this week, and I thought it would eventually come back to bite them, but seeing how they played today despite a ton of injuries, I’m all in.

Baker Mayfield just has that “it” factor. You can’t look at the stat sheet and find “it,” but if you watch the games, you know what I mean. He just always finds ways to win, no matter the circumstances.

Take away his top running back? He’ll throw for 379 yards. Take away his top three receivers? He’ll still complete X percent of his passes and throw a couple of touchdowns. As of today, he is the MVP.

I also have to give credit to Tampa’s defense. They held one of the best offenses in the league to 19 points and made Mac Jones look human for the first time this season. Not to mention, they completely shut down San Fran’s rushing attack, holding them to 3.0 yards per carry and sacking Jones six times.

I don’t think they’re quite the top dogs in the NFC, but they can compete with anyone on any day. Nobody is going to want to see them in January.