ORCHARD PARK, NY – After a disastrous road game loss, part deux, the San Francisco 49ers road to the playoffs is getting more and more slippery, and that’s not just because of the snow in Buffalo.
“I’m real disappointed,” said 49ers’ head coach Kyle Shanahan. “We have more pride than this. We know we have some people out, but we can play a lot better than that.”
For the second week in a row, the 49ers managed to score only 10 points and lose by much more. On Sunday night, it was the now-AFC East Champion Bills that beat up on the red and gold, 35-10, at a very (like, very) snowy Highmark Stadium.
Snowstorms are fun,” said 49ers’ tight end George Kittle. “It’s a very sticky type of snow. I think you saw guys clicking their heels like Dorothy out there the entire game. It was one of the weirder environments I’ve played in.”
“I’m not going to say that our team doesn’t have fight.” Kyle Shanahan with an honest assessment of this year’s team vs. previous teams pic.twitter.com/Mzr0PAnan6
— Tracy Sandler (@TracyFGSN) December 2, 2024
San Francisco showed promise to start the game, but once again, turnovers, missed tackles, missed field goals, a special teams blunder and general poor execution dropped them to a 5-7 record, last place in the NFC West and two games behind the Seahawks in the division.
This team ain’t getting a Wild Card spot, so it’s division or bust. 49ers fans have seen their team battle back in recent years, but these aren’t the same 49ers.
“I think it’s not as good of a team as those past teams,” Shanahan said. “That’s kind of how I look at it. We’re not the same team at all. I’m not going to say this team isn’t as fighting as hard as last year’s, there are a bunch of guys out there who have been trying to find a way since the beginning. We haven’t quite found it yet, but there’s still a lot of season left. We expect to play better. I’m not going to say our team doesn’t have fight.”
The conditions were less than ideal. It was 27 degrees at kickoff but felt like 17 with the wind. Snow was dumping onto the field at a level at which it hadn’t for the hours prior. It never stopped snowing, but as many a 49er noted postgame, the Bills had to play under the same conditions. Are they more prepared for that? Of course. But are they also just a much better team that played like it? Also, of course.
“Football’s tough, stuff happens…You’re either going to let it beat you down…or you’re going to out there and swing and fight.” George Kittle pic.twitter.com/PCc16YCOEa
— Tracy Sandler (@TracyFGSN) December 2, 2024
The team was without LT Trent Williams and DT Nick Bosa, CB Deommodore Lenoir, OL Aaron Banks and DL Jordan Elliott. Adding to that, they lost RB Christian McCaffrey – recently back from missing the first nine weeks of this season – in the second quarter to a PCL injury, which may keep him out the rest of the season.
The 49ers have up 220 yards rushing (they have up 169 to the Green Bay Packers last week), with RB James Cook amassing 107 of them, and the Bills gaining 146 in the first half.
The loss of McCaffrey began the downturn, as the star running back had 7 carries for 53 yards and looked like the explosiveness was back. Jordan Mason ran well, and Isaac Guerendo scored the team’s only touchdown, but it was a blow nonetheless.
After kicker Jake Moody missed a 49-yard field goal in the second quarter, the Bills took over and saw Cook run 65 yards for a touchdown. It should be noted that LB Fred Warner was not in the game at that point, as he had gone to the locker room with cramps. His absence was felt on the 49ers’ defense as Cook went flying down the field.
QB Brock Purdy was 11-of-18 for 94 yards. Kyle Juszczyk fumbled inside the Bills’ 5-yard line (his first fumble since 2020), Purdy fumbled and Deebo Samuel fumbled on a return.
“We just got to be better, as a whole, offense, defense, special teams, that’s just what we’ve got to do,” said 49ers’ WR Deebo Samuel who four receptions for 20 yards and whose main purpose Sunday night seemed to be that of kick returner.
George Kittle caught a seven-yard pass on San Francisco’s first offensive drive but was only targeted one other time.
“I do not have an explanation,” said Kittle as to the reason behind that. “I think I ran like six more routes the rest of the day. It could be a combination of that.”
Meanwhile, Bills’ quarterback Josh Allen threw for two touchdown passes, caught a touchdown pass (though he’s given credit for the touchdown but not the reception) and ran one in.
On the touchdown pass and reception, Allen connected on a short pass to WR Amari Cooper. As three potential 49ers’ tacklers came at him, Cooper threw a lateral pass to Allen, who brought it in for a touchdown. Well if that doesn’t just sum up this 49ers’ season.
Insane!!! pic.twitter.com/EQQExaEm9S
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) December 2, 2024
All-in-all, Buffalo scored five touchdowns to the 49ers one TD and one FG.
Here’s the reality 49ers’ fans, the season may not technically be over for San Francisco, but for all intents and purposes, it’s over. With five games left, the team will have to show a level of execution and fight that has not been seen from them all season long.
Next week, the 49ers host the Chicago Bears at Levi’s Stadium and then the Rams four days later. Then, it’s another long road trip, this time to Miami, the Lions at home (oof) and the Cardinals in Arizona to close it out. Time will tell, but making other plans for January and February may not be a bad idea.