First-quarter film from today’s game almost scared Joe because it showed Lavonte David looking slow.
David spent all last week on the injured list with a bad knee.
But David shook off the early cobwebs to be a force in the run defense and flash his speed and instincts. David had a key 10-yard sack of Mac Jones in the fourth quarter that pushed the 49ers out of field goal range with the score Bucs 27, San Francisco 19.
That play loomed large. It also upped David’s sack total to 2 1/2 on the season.
Before kickoff, Buccaneers Ring of Honor general manager Jason Licht talked about David and let fans know how much he does that goes unseen.
“He’s a GOAT,” Licht said of David. “It’s such a tremendous asset for us. A lot of things that the fans don’t see he does on a day-to-day basis keeping this team focuses and keeping this team driven, and keeping this team where we’re at today. He’s a tremendous, tremendous asset for our football team.