San Francisco shut out by Buccaneers

Associated Press

SAN FRANCISCO

The inexperienced Tampa Bay Buccaneers have been waiting all season to be taken seriously.

They hope a road shutout will do the trick. The NFL’s youngest team is right in the thick of the NFC South title chase and making a playoff push.

All it took for Tampa Bay to finally win again at Candlestick Park was a methodical, mistake-free day of football.

Josh Freeman threw for 136 yards and two touchdown passes and the Buccaneers beat the stagnant San Francisco 49ers 21-0 on Sunday for their first win in this stadium since 1980 and only second in 13 tries.

Nothing fancy needed for the Bucs (7-3) to end an eight-game losing streak in San Francisco. They were the underdog, no less.

“These guys are playing great,” coach Raheem Morris said. “I told you guys, stats are for losers. We don’t deal with that. We deal with playing hard, playing fast, playing smart and playing consistent.”

Ronde Barber made his 40th career interception in the fourth quarter, most in franchise history, to help clinch it. He also became the first player in NFL history to record 40 interceptions and 25 sacks in a career.

LeGarrette Blount ran for 82 yards and 305-pound left tackle Donald Penn made a late 1-yard touchdown catch.

49ers quarterback Troy Smith lost for the first time in three starts and was sacked six times — leaving coach Mike Singletary to ponder whether to return to former starter Alex Smith next week for San Francisco (3-7). Singletary said he would watch film before making a decision.

“It’s a banner day for us on the defensive line as far as getting to the quarterback,” Barber said. “That’s huge for us. It sets the tone.”