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Buccaneers vs. 49ers: Giving out game balls, rather skulls and planks

By Jonathan Miles

TAMPA, FLORIDA - SEPTEMBER 08: Ronald Jones #27 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers rushes during a game against the San Francisco 49ers at Raymond James Stadium on September 08, 2019 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
TAMPA, FLORIDA - SEPTEMBER 08: Ronald Jones #27 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers rushes during a game against the San Francisco 49ers at Raymond James Stadium on September 08, 2019 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images) /
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TAMPA, FLORIDA – SEPTEMBER 08: Vernon III Hargreaves #28 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers scores a touchdown after intercepting Jimmy Garoppolo #10 of the San Francisco 49ers in the second quarter of a football game at Raymond James Stadium on September 08, 2019 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)
TAMPA, FLORIDA – SEPTEMBER 08: Vernon III Hargreaves #28 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers scores a touchdown after intercepting Jimmy Garoppolo #10 of the San Francisco 49ers in the second quarter of a football game at Raymond James Stadium on September 08, 2019 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images) /

Skull: CB Vernon Hargreaves III

After an amazing preseason and improvement after missing all of the 2018 season, cornerback Vernon Hargreaves III got off on the right foot towards his revenge tour. Hargreaves is back in the business of proving he was worth the first round pick that the Buccaneers used on him back in 2016 and continues towards his breakout year.

Getting back into the defensive scheme that he played in college, Hargreaves is back to playing man coverage in Todd Bowles’ defense, rather than Mike Smith’s zone heavy scheme. Smith should be locked up for robbing Hargreaves of a promising first three years with the misuse of him when he was the defensive coordinator in Tampa. He battled for his starting job, and won it handedly this summer.

The first real big play of the game by the defense came early on in the first quarter, when 49ers’ quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo looked to throw to his speedy receiver Marquise Goodwin and Hargreaves jumped in front of the pass and walked into the endzone for this first career pick-six. The Buccaneers may have finally have fixed their secondary, and all it took was a change in coaching after they stuck with Hargreaves and Carlton Davis at the top of the depth chart.

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