During the offseason, the San Francisco 49ers had been predicted to remain Super Bowl contenders. They had a monstrously deep roster, all the way from breakout "Mr. Relevant" quarterback Brock Purdy to criminally underappreciated punter Mitch Wishnowsky - almost all of whom could be Pro Bowlers in their right.
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But injuries have taken their toll, and the team's play also took a massive hit in quality. Thus, they were sitting below .500 as they visited Orchard Park in Western New York on Sunday for a cold, snowy night game.
There, the Buffalo Bills were undergoing a shocking renaissance. Originally thought to be done as contenders after ditching multiple stalwarts like Stefon Diggs, they instead remained the AFC East's overlords thanks to James Cook and a rejuvenated secondary.
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San Francisco 49ers vs Buffalo Bills box score
Team
1Q
2Q
3Q
4Q
Total
San Francisco 49ers
3
0
7
0
10
Buffalo Bills
7
14
7
7
35
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San Francisco 49ers player stats
Passing
Player
Completions/Attempts
Yards
Touchdowns
Interceptions
Rating
Brock Purdy
11/18
94
0
0
74.8
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Rushing and receiving
Player
Carries
Yards
Touchdowns
Receptions
Yards
Touchdowns
Jordan Mason
13
78
0
0
0
0
Christian McCaffrey
7
53
0
2
14
0
Isaac Guerendo
4
19
1
1
-3
0
Brock Purdy
2
4
0
0
0
0
Kyle Juszczyk
1
-1
0
0
0
0
Jauan Jennings
0
0
0
3
56
0
Deebo Samuel Sr.
0
0
0
4
20
0
George Kittle
0
0
0
1
7
0
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Defense
Player
Total tackles
Solo tackles
Sacks
Tackles for Loss
Ji'Ayir Brown
8
5
0
0
Renardo Green
6
5
0
0
Dee Winters
6
3
0
0
De'Vondre Campbell
5
3
0
1
Charvarius Ward
5
2
0
1
Malik Mustapha
5
1
0
0
Fred Warner
4
3
0
0
Nick McCloud
4
2
0
0
Yetur Gross-Matos
4
2
0
1
Evan Anderson
4
2
0
0
Maliek Collins
3
3
0
0
Leonard Floyd
2
1
0
0
Sam Okuayinonu
2
1
0
0
Khalil Davis
2
0
0
0
Kalia Davis
2
0
0
0
Chris Conley
1
1
0
0
George Kittle
1
1
0
0
George Odum
1
1
0
0
Isaac Yiadom
1
1
0
0
Kevin Givens
1
1
0
0
Jalen Graham
1
0
0
0
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Kicking
Player
Field Goals
Extra points
Jake Moody
1/3
1/1
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Punting
Player
Punts
Yards
Inside 20
Longest
Pat O'Donnell
3
124
1
46
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Buffalo Bills player stats
Passing
Player
Completions/Attempts
Yards
Touchdowns
Interceptions
Rating
Josh Allen
13/17
148
2
0
141.3
Mitchell Trubisky
1/1
4
0
0
83.3
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Rushing and receiving
Player
Carries
Yards
Touchdowns
Receptions
Yards
Touchdowns
James Cook
14
107
1
1
13
0
Ray Davis
11
63
1
1
4
0
Ty Johnson
5
28
0
1
9
0
Josh Allen
3
18
1
0
7
1
Curtis Samuel
1
7
0
0
0
0
Mitchell Trubisky
4
-3
0
0
0
0
Dawson Knox
0
0
0
2
56
0
Khalil Shakir
0
0
0
4
30
0
Quintin Morris
0
0
0
1
14
0
Amari Cooper
0
0
0
3
12
0
Mack Hollins
0
0
0
1
7
1
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Defense
Player
Total tackles
Solo tackles
Sacks
Tackles for Loss
Terrel Bernard
9
3
0
0
Taron Johnson
6
4
0
0
Taylor Rapp
6
3
0
0
Damar Hamlin
5
5
0
0
Matt Milano
5
3
0
0
Rasul Douglas
5
3
0
1
Greg Rousseau
4
4
1
3
DaQuan Jones
3
1
0
1
Cam Lewis
2
2
0
0
Quinton Jefferson
2
1
0
0
Ja'Marcus Ingram
2
1
0
0
Cole Bishop
2
1
0
0
Ed Oliver
2
0
0
0
Von Miller
1
1
0
0
Tyler Bass
1
1
0
0
Casey Toohill
1
1
0
0
Joe Andreessen
1
1
0
0
Dorian Williams
1
1
0
0
Reggie Gilliam
1
0
0
0
Nicholas Morrow
1
0
0
0
AJ Epenesa
1
0
0
0
Quintin Morris
1
0
0
0
Christian Benford
1
0
0
0
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Kicking
Player
Field Goals
Extra points
Tyler Bass
0/0
3/3
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Punting
Player
Punts
Yards
Inside 20
Longest
Sam Martin
3
140
1
48
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San Francisco 49ers vs Buffalo Bills game summary
The game began with the Bills failing to make progress on the opening drive and being forced to punt - and Jake Moody punished them for it with a field goal. The next drive lasted seven and a half munites and ended with Ray Davis rushing to the endzone for the lead.
To begin the second quarter, Brock Purdy appeared to have been pressured into a Damar Hamlin interception. He was instead called for illegal contact, allowing the 49ers to continue the drive, but at the cost of Christian, McCaffrey, who hurt his leg on the next play. It ended in a missed field goal that James Cook immediately punished with a 65-yard touchdown rush.
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The 49ers' next drive ended in a punt while in enemy territory, which Allen punished with a touchdown to Mack Hollins. The first half ended with Moody missing yet again.
The second half began disastrously for the 49ers, as Taylor Rapp punched the ball out of Kyle Juszczyk during a running play, which Christian Benford then recovered. That turnover, however, resulted in nothing, as the Bills were forced to punt in enemy territory.
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The 49ers’ first drive of the half also ended in a punt, and it did not go unpunished - Allen and Amari Cooper considered for a lateral touchdown. Isaac Gurerndo did not take long to respond, however, rushing for the 49ers’ first six of the night.
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They then forced a punt, but Bruck Purdy lost possession on a Greg Rousseau sack. Allen promptly punished it with a rushing touchdown.
On the ensuing kickoff, Deebo Samuel fumbled the return, returning possession to the Bills. However, Tyler Bass missed the field goal attempt. The Bills forced a punt, then marched into enemy territory to end the game.
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About the author
Andre Castillo
Andre Castillo is an NFL journalist at Sportskeeda who holds a Bachelor’s degree in English and Master’s degree in Journalism. He has over seven years of working experience and has also covered MMA with FanSided, wrestling with The Sportster, and automobiles with Hot Cars.
Andre follows the New York Jets and the Washington Commanders, mostly because he likes their colors. His favorite position is tight end, and players like Mark Andrews and Travis Kelce have always drawn Andre's attention when watching a game. Bill Belichick is his favorite coach, and his all-time favorite Super Bowl is the XLII edition, when the underdog New York Giants upset the then-undefeated New England Patriots.
If he can change one moment in NFL history, it will be from the NFC Championship Game in January 2019. In that game, a highly controversial no-call cost the Saints what would have been Drew Brees' second Super Bowl visit, where he would have faced Tom Brady and the Patriots.
Andre is always on the lookout for fresh perspectives in a story and ensures complete factual accuracy by double-checking all information before using it in his articles. He has an innate understanding of how to present information in an efficient and compelling way.
Outside the writing realm, Andre is a professional licensed teacher. His hobbies include watching UFC, MotoGP, playing the piano, and travelling.