Niners Drop to Dolphins, Eliminated from Playoffs

Week 16 - Entering Sunday's game, the (6-8) San Francisco 49ers held less than a 1% chance of making the playoffs after their disappointing loss to the Rams a week earlier on a rain-soaked Levi's Stadium field. But just moments before kickoff against the (6-8) Miami Dolphins, the Niners would learn that those playoff hopes would come to an end following the Washington Commanders' dramatic comeback win over the Philadelphia Eagles which meant San Francisco was mathematically eliminated from punching their playoff ticket. With head coach Kyle Shanahan's squad missing the postseason for the first time since 2020, there was little to play for as San Francisco would not be given a chance to defend their NFC title. Making their first visit Miami, Florida since their loss to the Chiefs in Super Bowl 54 nearly five years ago, the 49ers would duel with a familiar face in Miami head coach Mike McDaniel who served five seasons under coach Shanahan in San Francisco as the run game coordinator and offensive coordinator before landing the Dolphins' head coaching gig in 2022. 

As for 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy who would be facing the team he grew up rooting for while idolizing Dolphins great Dan Marino, he would also face the team he recorded his first career win against in 2022 when stepping in for an injured Jimmy Garoppolo. Having come a long way since making NFL history in that contest when Purdy became the first Mr. Irrelevant to throw a touchdown pass in a regular season game, Sunday would unfortunately end on a much somber note than the game that catapulted Brock Purdy's name on a national scale just two years earlier. Taking over duties in the backfield behind Purdy would be yet another running back in Patrick Taylor who in his fifth pro season would make his first career start in place of injured rookie Isaac Guerendo. Unfortunately, it would be a quiet day for Taylor, the team's fifth-string running back behind a laundry list of injured backs in Christian McCaffrey, Elijah Mitchell, Jordan Mason and Guerendo. One 49er who would not have a disappointing game in what's been a disappointing season is Deebo Samuel. After dropping a potential game-winning touchdown a week earlier, Deebo would have one of his best games of the season on Sunday. 

After the Dolphins jumped ahead in the first quarter with a Jason Sanders field goal, the 49ers answered to start the second quarter with a Deebo Samuel touchdown. His third TD of the season and first since Week 6, Deebo rumbled and tumbled his way into the end zone with an impressive show of strength, fighting off tackles to strike paydirt. Inching closer with another field goal by Sanders, the Dolphins would take the lead one possession later with a touchdown pass from Miami QB Tua Tagovailoa to receiver Tyreek Hill. After suffering a few dropped passes earlier in the game, Hill made up for it, hauling in the 100th career touchdown pass by Tua who became just the fourth Dolphins QB to reach the century mark. The 49ers would answer with a Jake Moody field goal but went into the locker room trailing 13-10 at the half. Picking up right where they left off, Miami converted on more field goals as Dolphins kicker Jason Sanders added to his busy day by adding another pair of field goals to open the second half. Sandwiched between those made field goals was a missed field goal by San Francisco's Jake Moody. 

Trailing 16-10, Moody's kick from 41-yards would sail wide-left, much to the chagrin of coach Shanahan who was seen fuming on the sideline after the missed field goal. Making matters worse, the 49ers had a 16-yard Deebo Samuel reception that would've given them a first and goal from the 2-yard line negated a few plays earlier due to an illegal-formation penalty on rookie receiver Ricky Pearsall who was flagged twice on the same drive for illegal-formation. The back-breaking penalties followed by the missed field goal would only add to the frustration felt by the 49ers virtually all season long as the self-inflicted miscues have reared their ugly head far too often for San Francisco this year. After another made field goal by Miami that pushed their lead to 19-10, the 49ers marched their way to the end zone to open the fourth quarter, capping the drive with a 2-yard touchdown pass to tight-end who hauled in his first touchdown reception as a 49er and only the third TD of his 7-year career. Another tight-end that would make his presence felt on Sunday was San Francisco's George Kittle who notched his 20th career 100-yard receiving game after his 106-yard performance, making him the 4th tight-end with 20 such games in his first 8 seasons in NFL history. Kittle's 7,241 receiving yards passed Rob Gronkowski for the 2nd most by an NFL tight-end in his first 8 seasons in NFL history, trailing only Travis Kelce of the Chiefs. 

Pulling within 2 points, the 49ers had Miami right where they wanted them after forcing a punt on the Dolphins ensuing possession. But after having to punt themselves after nothing doing, Miami would add another field goal to add to their lead, the fifth of the game from kicker Jason Sanders. Still within striking distance trailing by 5, Brock Purdy would be pressured into hurrying a pass that was intercepted by the Miami defense. A few plays later, running back De'Von Achane would break for a 50-yard touchdown, putting the game out of reach and sealing the Dolphins' 29-17 win. With his touchdown run that served as the dagger, Achane recorded his first 100-yard rushing game of the season, logging 120 rush yards in total. Although Brock Purdy threw for 313 yards and a pair of touchdowns, his costly interception came at a pivotal time and was unable to rally his team to victory when playing from behind. The Niners' disappointing run game was outgained 166 to 81 as both Purdy (26) and Samuel (25) finished with more rushing yards than starting running back Patrick Taylor (24). Tua played turnover-free football and threw for 215 yards and a touchdown for Miami. 

Noteworthy: Playing in just his second game since returning from a torn Achilles, 49ers linebacker Dre Greenlaw would have to again leave Sunday's game early, this time with a calf injury that will likely lead to Shanahan and company shutting him down for the remainder of the season as a precaution. 

Week 17 Preview: Playing in their final home game of the season, the (6-9) 49ers will return to Levi's Stadium where they will play host to the (13-2) Detroit Lions on the last Monday Night Football of 2024 in what will be a rematch of last season's NFC Championship game. With the Lions currently sitting in the driver's seat as the NFC's No. 1 seed, Detroit will look to avenge their heartbreaking loss to the 49ers which saw San Francisco storm back from a 17-point deficit. With the rival Vikings on Detroit's heels and also sitting at 13-2 on the year, expect quarterback Jared Goff and the Lions to not pull any punches and give it everything they have on Monday night as explained by head coach Dan Campbell, despite having suffered a few major injuries to the roster down the stretch. 

49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan is hoping running back Isaac Guerendo will be one of the players back in time for gameday as he nurses a hamstring and foot injury. With 967 receiving yards on the season, Niners tight-end George Kittle is another name that expects to go full throttle on Monday night as he looks to surpass the 1,000 yard mark for the second consecutive season and for the fourth time in his career. Kittle also leads the team in touchdowns with 8, the second-most he's scored in a single season. As for San Francisco's offensive-line, quarterback Brock Purdy may be in for a world of hurt as he's expected to be without left-tackle Trent Williams, left-guard Aaron Banks, right-tackle Spencer Burford, and possibly right-tackle Colton McKivitz who is questionable with a knee injury. 

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49ers Faceplant vs Rams in Rainy Santa Clara

Week 15 - With just a handful of games remaining on the NFL's regular season schedule, the San Francisco 49ers entered their Thursday Night meeting with the rival (7-6) Los Angeles Rams with a record of 6-7 and very little margin of error to play with. Hoping to continue their improbable playoff run and cruise with a win at home, mother nature would have other plans as both teams struggled to get much of anything going on offense partly in part by the rainy conditions that effected both team's strategy through the air. With what many believed would be a back-and-forth shootout between two offenses led by two of the best young minds in all of football at the head coaching position between friends and former colleagues Kyle Shanahan and Sean McVay, instead turned into the first game in the NFL this season without a single touchdown scored. 

In a season that has been plagued by injuries, the 49ers finally received a bit of positivity on the injury front as linebacker Dre Greenlaw made his season debut, returning to action just 10 months removed from suffering a torn Achilles in a freak accident while on the sideline during February's Super Bowl. While the injury sent a ripple effect throughout the clubhouse and left his teammates in shock when it initially occurred, his return on Thursday night inspired the team and gave the defense a much-needed jolt on the field, at least through the first two quarters. Getting the start at linebacker opposite of Fred Warner, Greenlaw dazzled and led both teams with 10 tackles in the first half alone. With Greenlaw's help, the 49er defense held the Rams offense to four straight drives without a first down, the longest streak to start a game under head coach Sean McVay. While the 49ers did strike first with a 53-yard Jake Moody field goal on their second drive of the game, they weren't much better on offense as both teams combined for 11 punts in the first half, tied for the most in a half this season. After holding the Chicago Bears to just 3 yards of total offense in the first half a week ago, San Francisco was at it again and held the Rams to just 26 yards in the first half in rainy Santa Clara. 

With a score of 3-3 at the half, the 6-points scored were the fewest in a first half of a 49ers-Rams game since 2009. With 152 games played in the longstanding 49ers-Rams rivalry, it would also be the first game in series history without a touchdown thru the first three quarters, let alone the entire game as the kickers took centerstage and did all the scoring on Thursday night. After forcing a three and out on defense and taking a 6-3 lead following a field goal on San Francisco's first drive of the second half, things began to slip away for the 49ers both literally and figuratively. One play earlier before electing to kick the go-ahead field goal, Niners quarterback Brock Purdy threw a pass to a streaking Deebo Samuel who had blockers ahead of him and the end zone in his sights, but the recently disgruntled receiver dropped the pass and ran to the sideline holding his head in disbelief, much to the chagrin of the 49er fans in attendance as boo's rained down. The dropped pass that was likely destined for the end zone was especially frustrating for the 49ers as Deebo expressed to the media in the days leading up to Thursday's game that there was nothing wrong with him in what's been a down year for the former All-Pro receiver, he just hasn't been given the ball enough. Coach Shanahan and Brock Purdy both tried feeding Samuel on Thursday, even forcibly at times, dialing up plays both on the ground and through the air to no avail. 

Trailing 6-3 at the start of the fourth quarter, the Rams kicked field goals on their final three drives of the game to take a 12-6 lead. Just four nights after winning the highest-scoring game of the season in a 44-42 barnburner against Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills, L.A. suddenly found themselves in one of the lowest-scoring games of the year. With a chance to turn the tables and avenge a comeback loss to the Rams in L.A. back in Week 3, Purdy struggled to connect on a pair of home run passes to receivers Ricky Pearsall and Jauan Jennings, respectively. After underthrowing a pass near the end zone to Pearsall, the Niners QB overthrew a deep ball to Jennings that was picked off inside the end zone. One possession later, the San Francisco offense would have one last-ditch effort remaining, but with no timeouts remaining and the game clock running against them, Purdy took a sack that sealed the Rams' win and most likely the Niners' season. With just 191 total yards of offense to show for, the 49ers put up the second fewest yards in a game under coach Shanahan. 

Perhaps an even bigger story than the proverbial final nail in the coffin that is the Niners' season, is that of linebacker De'Vondre Campbell who made headlines after refusing to go into the game for San Francisco during the third quarter. Demoted to a backup position on gameday due to the return of Dre Greenlaw, Campbell would hear his name called during the second half after Greenlaw and fellow linebacker Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles both went to the sideline after getting banged up, but Campbell refused to enter the game. Clearly feeling some type of way given his demotion, Campbell was sent to the locker room in what would end up being the final visuals of him in a 49ers uniform. Campbell's teammates and coaches sounded off on him when asked about the situation in their postgame interviews, and he has since been suspended for the team's final three regular season games this season. A former All-Pro while a member of the Green Bay Packers in 2021, Campbell began his NFL career with the Atlanta Falcons, with stops in Arizona and Green Bay before ultimately landing in San Francisco during the offseason. After initially agreeing to a 1-year deal with free-agent linebacker Eric Kendricks, the plug was eventually pulled on the deal when Kendricks bailed out and ultimately signed with the Dallas Cowboys, thus resulting in the 49ers reaching an agreement with Campbell who might've very well played his final downs as an NFL linebacker. 

For the Rams, winners of 7 of their last 9 games, Matt Stafford and company now have their first 3-game win streak vs San Francisco since 1999-2001 which saw six straight wins over their longtime rivals. This after the 49ers had won 9 straight regular season meetings over the Rams more recently from 2019-2023. Neither team's quarterback lit up the stat sheet as Stafford threw for 160 yards with 0 touchdowns, compared to Brock Purdy who tallied 142 yards, 0 touchdowns and 1 interception. L.A.'s Puka Nacua led all receivers with 97 yards receiving and 7 receptions, followed by George Kittle of the Niners who hauled in 4 receptions for 61 yards. Most of the damage done by the Rams offense would come on the ground which came as no surprise in a rain-filled game as L.A. outrushed SF 142 to 63 yards rushing. Kyren Williams would have the busiest day of all running backs, leading the way for the Rams with 108 yards on 29 carries, compared to just 57 yards rushing on 19 carries by rookie running back Isaac Guerendo of the 49ers. 

Week 16 Preview - Hitting the road for sunny South Beach Florida, the (6-8) 49ers will visit the (6-8) Miami Dolphins. With the Niners sharing an identical record as the Dolphins, Miami's up and down season has had plenty to do with the health of their quarterback Tua Tagovailoa who was forced to miss four games earlier this year due to yet another concussion. Since returning to action in Week 8, Tua had been playing some solid football to the tune of 15 touchdowns and only 1 interception, in spite of his team still losing games. That was until a clunker on the road in Houston where Tua threw only 1 touchdown to 3 interceptions in Week 15. With both teams coming off poor showings a week ago, both the 49ers and Dolphins will look to right the ship in Week 16 as Kyle Shanahan faces another one of his former colleagues in Miami head coach Mike McDaniel who spent five years on Shanahan's staff in San Francisco before landing his own head coaching gig. 

Seeking their first win in Miami since 1995, 49ers QB Brock Purdy who recorded his first career win against the Dolphins in relief of former teammate Jimmy Garoppolo in 2022, will attempt to get the job done against the team he grew up rooting for. 

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Right to Bear Arms - Niners Pummel Chicago

Week 14 - Looking to shake off their nightmarish two-game road trip and three-game skid, the (5-7) San Francisco 49ers returned home to Levi's Stadium in hopes of a rebound as they continue to play catchup in a crowded NFC West. Despite looking up at the rest of the division in the standings and sitting in last place, the Niners still have a scenario in play where they can make the playoffs, but they can ill afford losing more games to teams they should easily beat. A meeting with the visiting (4-8) Chicago Bears, losers of six straight entering Sunday, would allow them an opportunity to get back on track and into the win column. With the firing of head coach Matt Eberflus on black Friday, a day after the debacle that took place during their Thanksgiving loss to the Detroit Lions, it was uncertain what the Chicago Bears would look like on Sunday under interim head coach Thomas Brown who took the sideline for the first time at the helm after starting the season as the team's passing game coordinator. And with 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy coming off career-lows as a starter a week earlier in snowy Buffalo, the Niners signal-caller would come out with a chip on his shoulder as the offense began Sunday's contest firing on all cylinders right out the gates. 

Thanks to big gains on back-to-back plays by rookie running back Isaac Guerendo and tight-end George Kittle who picked up 23 and 33 yards respectively, the Niners were off to the races and found the end zone on Purdy's 7-yard touchdown pass to receiver Jauan Jennings. The quartet of Purdy, Guerendo, Kittle and Jennings would all be in line for big games, including Guerendo who would see his first career start at running back in the absence of fellow running backs Christian McCaffrey and Jordan Mason. Jumping out to a quick 7-0 lead, San Francisco would score only their second opening-drive touchdown of the season, marching 70-yards in just 7-plays. With the 49er defense welcoming back safety Talanoa Hufanga after a 7-game stint on the Injured Reserve, San Francisco would be just as stout on the defensive side of the ball as the Chicago Bears were held scoreless in the first half and limited to only 4 yards of total offense through the first two quarters. With a rushing touchdown by Guerendo and a second touchdown grab by Jauan Jennings, the 49ers went into the locker room at the half with a resounding 24-0 lead. 

Whatever peptalk interim head coach Thomas Brown gave his team at the half, seemed to work as the Bears put together their most successful drive yet, marching 70-yards on 18-plays before finding the end zone on a 4-yard touchdown pass from QB Caleb Williams to receiver Rome Odunze for the rookie-to-rookie connection. In spite of the successful drive, the Bears ate up over 9-minutes of game time on their touchdown-scoring drive. After forcing a quick 49ers punt on San Francisco's ensuing possession, the Bears were suddenly marching down the field on offense and made it across midfield before being dealt a blow on a Caleb Williams fumble on a backwards pass that was recovered by the defense. Stopping the Bears in their tracks, the 49ers capitalized on the Chicago turnover with Isaac Guerendo's second rushing touchdown of the afternoon from 4-yards out. Setup by a 39-yard reception from Jauan Jennings, the 49ers had plenty of big plays under their sleeve on Sunday. After only eight plays of 20+ yards in their last three games combined, Kyle Shanahan's offense would match that mark in the first half of Sunday's game alone before surpassing that total with more big plays in the second half. 

With only one receiving touchdown on the season entering Sunday, Bears rookie receiver Rome Odunze would haul in his second touchdown reception of the afternoon with a 14-yard grab, making it a 31-13 game. Answering Chicago's touchdown with a scoring drive of their own, the 49ers run game would put the final nail in the coffin following a 3-yard rushing touchdown up the middle by running back Patrick Taylor who put the game well out of reach. After losing their previous three games by a combined 7-points, the Bears were shellacked on Sunday by a final score of 38-13. Thanks to an overall solid performance in all facets by the 49ers, there was very little if anything at all to complain about as the Niners got back into the win column. Outgaining the Bears by nearly 300 yards in total offense, the 49ers racked up 452 yards to Chicago's 162. San Francisco quarterback Brock Purdy answered the call after setting career-lows the week earlier, throwing for 325 yards and 2 passing touchdowns, completing 20 of 25 passes. In contrast, Bears QB Caleb Williams also connected on a pair of touchdown passes, but threw for only 134 yards and was sacked seven times on Sunday, adding to his NFL lead as the most sacked quarterback in the league this season with 56, 15 more than the next closest quarterback (C.J. Stroud, sacked 41 times).

49ers rookie running back Isaac Guerendo answered the call in his first career start, rushing for 78-yards and 2 touchdowns and adding another 50-yards receiving on 2 receptions to give him 128-yards of total offense, resulting in a nomination for the NFL's Pepsi Rookie of the Week. Tight-end George Kittle had just six receptions on Sunday but made the most of them and finished with a game-high 151-yards receiving on his way to becoming just the third tight-end in NFL history with 500 receptions and 7,000 receiving yards. Leading all receivers with 7 receptions, Jauan Jennings continued his stellar 2024 campaign with 90-yards and 2 touchdown grabs in the win. Hampered by injury which has caused him to miss all but seven games this season, defensive-end Yetur Gross-Matos who was the team's big offseason signing on defense, led the 49ers in sacks on Sunday with 3, tripling his season output as he entered Sunday with only 1 sack on the year. 

Week 15 Preview: With a quick turnaround in store as the (6-7) 49ers play host to the rival (7-6) Los Angeles Rams on Thursday Night Football, San Francisco will look to win their second straight and avenge a tough Week 3 loss that saw the 49ers spoil a 10-point fourth quarter lead. In that game, the 49ers were without many of their playmakers on offense including George Kittle and Deebo Samuel, both of whom will be on the field on Thursday looking to make up for their absence in the previous bout. However, receivers Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua were also missing in action in that Week 3 meeting for the Rams and will look to prevent the 49ers from gaining any ground within the NFC Western Division. L.A. QB Matthew Stafford is also playing his best football of the season while riding a streak of 10 touchdown passes and 0 interceptions over the last four games for the Rams offense. After losing nine straight regular season games to the Niners, the Rams enter Levi's Stadium having won the last two matchups against San Francisco including last year's regular season finale in a battle of two backup QB's. 

Sunday's game will have a bit more significance than that playoff tune-up from a season ago with the Niners hoping to start a new streak against their rivals and inch back into the playoff picture with only four regular season games remaining on the schedule and plenty of ground to make up. One key reinforcement could be headed San Francisco's way in time for kickoff in the form of linebacker Dre Greenlaw who's been out all season after tearing his Achilles on the sideline in February's Super Bowl. With Thursday's game the targeted date for a possible season debut for the Niners' talented linebacker barring any setbacks during this week's practice, a healthy Greenlaw back on the field could be the perfect jolt needed for the 49ers looking to make a last-ditch run for a playoff spot. 

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Niners Frostbitten by Bills in snowy Buffalo

Week 13 - Continuing their brutal two-game stretch of road games played in frigid temperatures, the (5-6) San Francisco 49ers would follow up their visit from the frozen tundra of Lambeau Field with a trip to the northeast for a date with the (9-2) Buffalo Bills. Facing yet another team coming off the Bye (that's four now for those of you keeping track at home), the 49ers would have their work cut out for them against arguably the best team in the AFC, not to mention playing in a snow game that required the help of those brave enough to shovel snow in and around the stadium in the hours leading up to kickoff. Offering $20 dollars an hour as well as hot meals and warm beverages, the Bills took to their social media account to rally as many shovelers as they could get with two feet of snow expected to fall come gameday. Unfortunately for the 49ers, the game's outcome would be as ugly as the conditions. 

Despite getting quarterback Brock Purdy back under center after missing Week 12 with a shoulder injury sustained in Week 11 against Seattle, there wasn't a whole lot to write home about regarding the 49ers' offense on Sunday. And the defense wasn't any better as guys were slipping up and down the field virtually all game long. While the San Francisco defense was able to force a three and out on Buffalo's opening-drive which allowed the 49ers to strike first thanks to a Jake Moody field goal on their first possession, it was about the only point in the game that the defense came off the field on a high note. Leading 3-0 early, the San Francisco defense nearly forced a second consecutive three and out punt to begin the game, but an illegal contact penalty on cornerback Charvarius Ward who returned to action after missing the previous four games due to personal reasons, breathed new life into Buffalo's offense and were off to the races from there. Given a fresh set of downs, MVP candidate Josh Allen and company did the rest as the Bills orchestrated their first of three consecutive touchdown-scoring drives. A busy day on the ground for both teams, Bills backup running back Ray Davis scored the game's first touchdown with a 5-yard rush that sent Bills Mafia into a frenzy as snowballs were thrown up in the air in celebration. 

Playing in less-than-ideal conditions to throw or kick a ball in, 49ers kicker Jake Moody learned firsthand just how difficult splitting the uprights would be in the snow, especially as the night progressed and conditions worsened. After drilling a 33-yard kick on his first field goal attempt before the heavier snowfall, Moody missed kicks from 45 and 55 yards out as San Francisco was unable to find the end zone in the first half. Making matters worse, running back Christian McCaffrey who had been the lone bright spot on the offense for the 49ers in the first half, would have to leave the game in the second quarter after falling to the ground with a lower body injury. With 53 yards on 7 rush attempts, McCaffrey was poised for a big performance before heading to the locker room where he would spend the rest of the night. Aided by a 65-yard touchdown run by Bills running back James Cook, Buffalo's longest TD run since 2016, both teams would surpass the 100-yard rushing mark by halftime, marking the first time in a game this season that two teams tallied more than 100 yards rushing in a first half (SF-108, BUF-141). 

Trailing 21-3 at the half, the 49ers would see their fewest points scored in a first half since Week 18 of the 2021 season. Hoping to get off to a better start in the second half, the 49ers were trending in the right direction thanks to a big return of 60 yards from return man Deebo Samuel on the second half kickoff. Making their way to the 4-yard line, San Francisco's woes inside the red zone would rear their ugly head once again as fullback Kyle Juszczyk fumbled at the goal line, committing his first fumble since 2018 and a costly one at that. With Buffalo adding another touchdown, this time on a pass to receiver Amari Cooper who was bottled up before pitching a lateral back to a streaking Josh Allen along the sideline, the Bills' athletic quarterback dove across the goal line for the highlight worthy score. Having grown up a 49ers fan in nearby Firebaugh, California, Allen would be credited for both a touchdown pass and touchdown reception on the play, becoming just the fourth player in NFL history to have a receiving touchdown on a pass he threw.  

San Francisco's lone touchdown of the game would come on a 15-yard run by rookie running back Isaac Guerendo. Receiver Jauan Jennings who made 3 receptions for a game-high 56-yards, helped setup the touchdown with a big 26-yard gain on 4th and 5 that led the Niners into the red zone and eventually the end zone. Trailing 28-10 at the start of the fourth quarter, any chance of a miracle comeback would be nullified rather quickly as San Francisco fumbled the ball away on each of their next two possessions. The first occurred on the first play of the fourth quarter as the ball slipped out of the hands of quarterback Brock Purdy as he reared back for a pass, almost like a wet bar of soap. The second would come on a fumbled kick return by Deebo Samuel after an 8-yard rushing touchdown by Josh Allen. Buffalo would attempt to cash in on a 49-yard Tyler Bass field goal following the Deebo fumble, but the elements again proved to be too much. The Bills would call upon backup QB Mitch Trubisky for the fourth quarter with the game well out of hand and the score 35-10 which would hold up as the final. 

Two teams going in two different directions this season, the 49ers' loss was their third straight and while they're still technically alive in the NFC West, their playoff hopes are fading fast with each loss. Meanwhile, the Bills have now won an NFL-best seven consecutive games and appear to be the favorite in the AFC after clinching their fifth consecutive AFC East title and becoming the first team to clinch a division with five weeks remaining since the 2009 Colts. One of two teams with a takeaway in every game this season (Vikings the other), the Bills feasted on the many miscues committed by the Niners, including a total of three fumbles. Becoming the first QB in NFL history with a TD pass, TD rush & TD catch in a game, Josh Allen continued his MVP candidacy by throwing for 148 yards and 2 touchdowns compared to just 94 yards passing from Brock Purdy. 49er running backs combined to rush for 153 yards in the loss thanks to 78 yards from backup Jordan Mason and 53 from McCaffrey, but were still outgained on the ground by Buffalo's 220 rushing yards. Unfortunately, both Mason and McCaffrey would be placed on the Injured Reserve list on Monday due to a high ankle sprain and PCL injury respectively, likely ending McCaffrey's season.  

Week 14 Preview: Following their brutal two-game stretch on the road where the Niners were outscored a combined 73-20, the team will return to their home digs of Levi's Stadium for a meeting with the (4-8) Chicago Bears. Coming off a Thanksgiving loss to the Detroit Lions, the Bears will take the field for the first time after the firing of head coach Matt Eberflus after 2+ seasons at the helm following a brutal mismanagement of the game clock in last week's loss, the first time in the team's 104-year history that they've fired a head coach mid-season. With interim head coach Thomas Brown now in the drivers seat for the Bears and rookie quarterback Caleb Williams coming off back to back stellar performances, the 49ers will try to get back on track with a win to help keep their playoff hopes alive. Like San Francisco who has dropped three straight, the Bears come into the Bay Area meeting having dropped six consecutive games. 

While Chicago ranks 23rd in the league in scoring and 26th in total offense, they are 3rd overall in red zone scoring (66.67%) which is where the Niners will need to be sharp on defense on Sunday, especially if their offense continues to struggle the way it has as of late. At the top in red zone offense a season ago, the 49ers have struggled in the red zone all season long this year and currently rank 28th in the NFL with a 47.7 touchdown %. Not a good sign, especially considering the Bears have the No. 1 ranked red zone defense in all of football at 40.91%. Plenty has been said about the 49ers' defense that has been underperforming this season in multiple areas and some of that appears to be for good reason after recent developments. One of San Francisco's best players and vocal leaders is linebacker Fred Warner who revealed earlier in the week that he's been playing on a fractured ankle suffered in Week 4 against the Patriots. You can bet your bottom dollar that Warner will be out there again on Sunday, hoping to stop the bleeding as the Niners look to get back into the win column. 

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