San Francisco 49ers @ Buffalo Bills
Final Score: Bills 35, 49ers 10
Writer: Matt Bevins
The weather is kind of frightful, and the snow is also somewhat delightful. The Bills and their fanbase decided to snow in the visiting 49ers. When they woke up this morning, I’m sure they didn’t think they’d be playing in a snow globe, but now we get to watch the Niners and Bills in a ground-and-pound game. Josh Allen’s feet play almost half of a season in peak Buffalo weather, so they’re used to this dynamic. When the Bills stepped on the field this evening, this was a weakened version of the team they’re used to matching up against. Likely out of the playoff race before the end of this game, the Niners are nursing wounds and injuries. While the game started with some fast-moving Christian McCaffrey playmaking, it was with 11:23 remaining in the second quarter that a dashing McCaffrey pulled up mid-rush, likely suffering from some form of ACL or knee injury, even though at the time of writing this, no updates have been made.
Three Up
- Jordan Mason- The incumbent superstar in waiting, Jordan Mason has been awaiting a chance for a while in the depths of the charts, but it seems as if he may just be the Niner’s number one back for a while again. Whenever given chances, Mason thrives.
- James Cook – James Cook is one of the best backs in the league. I’d be willing to bet he’s some running back’s favorite running back. He’s fast when he needs to be, dynamic, and shifty when he’s not. When given the carries, he’ll almost always step in and rip it up.
- Deebo Samuel – Deebo Samuel seems to be the second back whenever McCaffrey gets hurt, and that again was the case on Sunday night. Deebo can be very random with his production, but when you add another 3 to 8 carries to his already anticipated workload, you have yourself a high-end fantasy asset again.
Three Down
- Christian McCaffrey – The career that could have been for McCaffrey is in elite company. However, we may not see much more from him. Sorry for the doom and gloom, but he only had three games back after Achilles tendinitis in both legs caused him to be out for the start of the season. Non-contact injury and a team without much left to play for, and I have to think this is the last we see of him for this season.
- Both passing games – This was to be expected, but it speaks a lot for the type of game this one became. With the winds swirling the snow through the air and piling up on the field, the games were turned into a much more rush-heavy flow.
- Niners defense – This team is missing something, and it keeps showing in large part that the defense does not look as dominant as it was just years ago. The Bills were locked in on rushing game gameplan, and even with that being known, the Niners’ defense couldn’t put up much of a battle.
San Francisco 49ers
Quarterback
Brock Purdy: 11/18, 94 yards | 2 carries, 4 yards
This game, for all intents and purposes, shouldn’t be used to gauge much fantasy value. Brock Purdy was a game-time decision and is still likely not one hundred percent. With that in mind, and adding like the game, this was going to be a run-only game. Purdy didn’t do much other than find his backs for handoffs and try not to fumble the ball. While this is a disheartening game for someone who played Purdy through ups and downs, it’s unfortunately the best we could expect with a mix of nature and physical status.
Running Back
Christian McCaffrey: 7 carries, 53 yards | 3 targets, 2 receptions, 14 yards
Jordan Mason: 13 carries, 78 yards
Isaac Guerendo: 4 carries, 19 yards, 1 TD | 1 target, 1 reception, -3 yards
When the game started, the weather looked like it might potentially hold itself off enough for some reasonable stat lines, but just a little over a quarter into the game, the weather wouldn’t break. To add injury to insult, the Niners were left reeling when an injury to their All-Pro running back forced them to hand the ball back over to Jordan Mason. Jordan Mason performed admirably despite not being able to take the lone rushing touchdown into the end zone (somehow Isaac Guerendo pours himself into the end zone. ) With the news coming down just after the game that McCaffrey suffered a season-ending PCL injury, it looks like waiver wires will be flooded again to get Jordan Mason back.
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Deebo Samuel: 5 targets, 4 receptions, 21 yards
George Kittle: 2 targets, 1 reception, 7 yards
Jauan Jennings: 5 targets, 3 receptions, 56 yards
The passing game was nonexistent and can be chalked up to weather, but it could ultimately have been a solid disguise for a not-healed Brock Purdy game as well. The fact that only two targets were sent George Kittle’s way, and between him and Jauan Jennings, only 7 targets occurred. The combo of Kittle and Jennings will likely hold the majority of targets for the remainder of the year, as Deebo Samuel will begin to see about half his passing targets be moved to backfield snaps. No one else vaulted into primetime, as Ricky Pearsall didn’t haul in the lone target that was sent his way. It’s hard not to just put this matchup entirely behind you and not vest too much into it.
Buffalo Bills
Quarterback
Josh Allen: 13/17, 148 yards, 2 TDs | 3 carries, 18 yards, 1 TD
This game was mostly at a loss for many replays. Still, Josh Allen saved one impressive highlight reel for us in the second half when a short pass made to Amari Cooper turned into a lateral back to Allen, where he was credited with both a passing touchdown and a touchdown reception (only the fourth time in history where this happened!). Allen’s legs can carry him on some game lines where the passing game isn’t jiving, but we likely got the best scenario for a scoring line in a game like this. Allen got two touchdowns on the night, only missing four passes when the football was peppered through the night’s snow like headlights in a fog. Allen also was lucky to gain about a quarter of the yardage on the night on a long Dawson Knox rumble.
Running Back
James Cook: 14 carries, 107 yards, 1 TD | 1 target, 1 reception, 13 yard
Ty Johnson: 5 carries, 28 yards
Ray Davis: 11 carries, 63 yards, 1 TD
The trio of backs was used on Sunday to refresh legs and keep the game on the ground. James Cook had a casual 107 yards, but a large portion of it came on a 65-yard touchdown scamper. Just like Josh Allen’s stat line, this was immensely lucky and bailed out by big play status. After the large rush, the game was mostly muted, between defensive showcasing and back-and-forth punches of three and outs from the Niners. When all was said and done, it was very clear the pecking order of this rushing backfield remains the same, with Cook being backed up by Ray Davis, whereas utility knife Ty Johnson will always have some scope of play but not large enough for fantasy production.
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Khalil Shakir: 7 targets, 4 receptions, 30 yards
Mack Hollins: 1 target, 1 reception, 7 yards, 1 TD
Amari Cooper: 3 targets, 3 receptions, 12 yards
Dawson Knox: 2 targets, 2 receptions, 56 yards
Knox was the most visible benefactor from tonight’s game, where he saw a massive rumbling reception down the field in slow-mo. When all was said and done, he had the most receiving yards of the game, where not much will likely be pulled out of the box score. Amari Cooper had three receptions, one of which ended with a quick lateral to “bull in a China shop” Josh Allen. The wide receiver crew in Buffalo has become a bit of Kansas City light, and it seems as though the hardest thing will be deciding what player will erupt on any given week. Despite just one reception and one target, Mack Hollins got a chance to haul in the lone touchdown reception of the game. We’re all lucky he had a chance to make the field after walking through shoeless before the game. That weather could freeze those feet off!