ORCHARD PARK, NY – Here's how the 49ers (5-7) fared in Sunday night's 35-10 loss to the AFC East-winning Buffalo Bills (9-2):
Pass offense: D-
The smartest thing you’ll be able to say: Brock Purdy said his “arm is fine” every week after he was forced to miss the 49ers' 38-10 humiliation at Green Bay due to shoulder soreness. A blizzard in Buffalo didn't improve the passing conditions, so it's no surprise that he threw for just 94 yards on 11 of 18 passes. The next smartest thing you could possibly say: George Kittle's 7-yard reception on the 49ers' first snap kept alive his streak of catching a pass in all 120 games of his profession, including the playoffs. Then Kittle disappeared from the statistics, as a substitute getting used on blocking duty and later playing a brief pass near the 49ers' goal line. Ricky Pearsall went with no catch for the third straight game, while Purdy focused on Jauan Jennings (three catches, 56 yards) and Deebo Samuel (4 catches, just 20 yards). The departure of Christian McCaffrey obviously robbed the 49ers offense of a brief pass when it needed it. Purdy lost a fumble on a sack and the ball slipped out of his hands on one other throw, however the protection behind left backups Jaylon Moore and Ben Bartch gave the impression to be sufficient.
RUN OFFENSE: B-
McCaffrey suffered a potentially season-ending injury to the posterior cruciate ligament in his right knee, ruining the mood of this game even before the Bills' flurry of touchdowns put the rating out of reach. McCaffrey managed runs of 19 and 18 yards throughout the season and was as high as 58 yards on six carries before testing his knee and intentionally slipping on his final run for a 5-yard loss. That opened the door for early-season star Jordan Mason, and he gained 78 yards on 13 carries (none in the ultimate quarter). Isaac Guerendo was also called and scored the 49ers' only touchdown (15-yard run, third quarter; lead blocks by Kittle and Kyle Juszczyk). But of all of the runs in the sport, the 2 crucial ones were McCaffrey's 18-yard throw, on which he injured his knee, and Juszczyk's fumble on the 1-yard line, which ruined the primary drive after halftime.
PASS DEFENSE: D+
Nick Bosa missed his second straight game, so it was no surprise that MVP candidate Josh Allen wasn't sacked and was only hit within the pocket once (by rookie defensive tackle Evan Anderson). Allen accomplished 13 of 17 passes for 148 yards and two touchdowns, including one he was credited with for a rating on one Amari Cooper sideways and a dive for a touchdown within the third quarter that gave the Bills a 28-3 lead. The snowy field made route running difficult, but rookie cornerback Renardo Green was also hindered from making some necessary completions. Charvarius Ward incurred a third-down penalty for illegal contact on the Bills' first touchdown drive after a four-game absence and failed to forestall two touchdowns in the primary half. Still, getting back into motion was a positive for Ward, and the 49ers needed him with Deommodore Lenoir inactive for the primary time this season.
RUN DEFENSE: F
This unit is the bane of the 49ers' existence in 2024, or not less than it rivals the special teams woes. The 49ers rushed for a season-high 220 yards on 38 carries and allowed three more rushing touchdowns to bring this season's total to 19, which is greater than in any of Shanahan's previous seven seasons. James Cook threw a 65-yard touchdown run on the Bills' first series after McCaffrey's departure, and the Bills were away. Linebacker Fred Warner was not on the sector for that play due to what he described as “unusual” forearm cramps; Whether or not it had anything to do with it, Warner was sleeveless during pregame warmups. But the 49ers' running problems initiate front and the emergency defense line isn't doing its job.
SPECIAL TEAMS: D
Samuel had a 60-yard kick return to start out the second half and averaged 30.4 yards on six returns, but he also fumbled one other return. Jake Moody made his first field goal attempt (33 yards), but he missed two more field goal attempts (45 yards, 55 yards) before halftime because the 49ers desperately looked for points.
COACHING: F
It's no surprise that the 49ers are on a three-game losing streak, but the way in which they exited here on the road after a 38-10 loss at Green Bay shows how far the mighty have fallen under Kyle Shanahan are. This strong team is missing necessary players (Bosa, Williams, Brandon Aiyuk and now McCaffrey again). The 49ers appear to be overwhelmed every week. Shanahan admitted after that defeat that this is just not the identical club that has been on the rise in recent times. One more month until an off-season is required to make the essential improvements in personnel, attitude, discipline, etc.
image credit : www.mercurynews.com