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.
Follow me on Twitter/X: @FraserKnowsBest
No comments:
Post a Comment