The Good, the Bad and the Ugly: 5 Takeaways from Week 14

Purdy just wins!!!!!

The 49ers warned the league by thumping Tampa Bay Buccaneers 35-7. Here are the five takeaways from the game.

1. Time to hang up the boots

The California kid, a.k.a Tom "the GOAT" Brady, played at Levi's stadium for the second time in his illustrious career. The occasion meant a lot to the legend, who had 100 tickets for family and friends. Brady had a forgettable outing with two interceptions and was manhandled by the 49ers defense.

Bardy had limited time to react as the defense was in his face all day. He made a couple of great throws but was erratic most often. The 49ers made a colossal mistake in 2020 when Brady was open for trade. It was not the evening that Brady took revenge; instead, he reminded us that he should have remained retired.

2. Not Nick Mullens

Brock Purdy started the game as 7th quarterback to make his 1st career start against Brady. Unlike the six men before him, Purdy put a dent in the tail end of Brady's career.

Despite being the last to be drafted, Purdy comes into the league with four years of playing experience in college. He was able to identify what the defense was cooking all day. The touchdown passes to Christian McCaffrey and Brandon Aiyuk were thrown with high precision and anticipation.

In 2020, C. J. Beathard won a game against the Arizona Cardinals to throw them off the playoff picture. Nick Mullens had unbelievable performances as a backup. The 49ers backup QBs tend to climb up to Everest base camp and end there before the real ascent begins. Purdy has already outlived both of them and is vying for a long career as a starter in NFL.

3. 35 points in fewer than 35 minutes

The 49ers scored their 5th touchdown one minute into the 3rd quarter. The offensive performance against the No. 10 ranked Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense should send shivers across the league.

At last, Shanahan's scheme is executed by a beyond-serviceable quarterback. George Kittle and Kyle Juszczyk were involved in crazy blocks creating space for running backs and wide receivers. Even with an abysmal 6-7 record, this was only the second time the Buccaneers conceded more than 30 points in a game. The last team to score more than 30 points against the Buccaneers was the Week 4 opponent Kansas City Chiefs.

The 49ers could have scored more if they needed to. The team scored 38 points against the Cardinals, but that was against a garbage defense that ranked 31st.

A Ferrari of an offense the 49ers used to hide in the garage buried deep under the ground is finally out in the tracks.

4. End of the road for Jimmy Garoppolo?

Kyle Shanahan continued his above .500 winning record on Sunday. The significant outcome of the day was that, finally, Shanahan had discovered a genuine quarterback who could unlock the offense's true potential.

Purdy has shown more promise than veteran Garoppolo who has been in the league for eight years. Purdy has a fast release, is decisive and throws the ball down the field. The Buccaneers' defense could not crowd the line of scrimmage and shut down the rushing game of the 49ers as most defenses accomplish against Garoppolo.

Garoppolo was the popular figure in the locker room and among the fans; even Trey Lance was named the starter at the beginning of the season. Purdy already claimed acceptance in the locker room and has not set a foot wrong with a 100 percent winning record, which puts him beyond the reach of Garoppolo for now.

The availability of Purdy is uncertain for the Thursday night game, but Mr. Irrelevant has enough opportunities to ensure Garoppolo is not going to hang around in Santa Clara in 2023.

5. Injuries

Deebo Samuel injured his knee on Sunday, which took the joy out of the win. Samuel, "the savior," was not repeating his 2021. The 49ers will miss Samuel's impact, but Jordan Mason in the backfield and Aiyuk as the number-one wide receiver can fill in the void for the rest of the season.

Samuel had to carry the team last year to find ways to score. The change of quarterbacks has shifted the 49ers offensive gears, which can win games even missing star players.

All 49ers need to do is keep Purdy healthy and prepare him for the playoffs.