Finally, it’s over.
The San Francisco 49ers suffered an abysmal 35-10 loss to the Buffalo Bills. It wasn’t a close game at all for the 49ers. Buffalo was in control from start to finish. The weather played a significant factor as expected. West Coast teams always struggle in the snow, while the Bills looked comfortable.
However, the 49ers were probably going to look abysmal regardless of the weather. So many losses this season have looked the same for them regardless of the opponent. Now, this loss has ruined their playoff hopes. The 49ers aren’t totally eliminated from playoff contention, but it is their hope that is gone.
How can this team ever muster the energy and the will to fight for it? They are tapped out and can’t even lock in anymore. If they were, then the run defense would’ve corrected their mistakes from last week. Again, it was an issue in the first half for the defense, allowing 141 yards on 16 carries (8.8 yards per carry).
James Cook was responsible for 100 of them with 65 yards coming on a singular run for a touchdown. Ji’Ayir Brown had a chance to make the tackle before Cook broke free but didn’t take the proper angle. It’s been that way for him all season long. Brown has been one of the worst defensive players on the 49ers and arguably overall too.
The defensive line is also getting zero push in pass-rushing downs. Without Nick Bosa, they just look like a random group of players playing to get some cardio in. It’s insane to see how lacking the defensive line of the 49ers is when it is an area that Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch tend to focus on since they took over back in 2017.
As for the offense, it was the same story as it’s been all year long. They tally a bunch of yards but not a bunch of touchdowns. In the first half, Christian McCaffrey was looking like his old self again. That is because he wasn’t getting run plays to the outside. Entering today’s matchup, McCaffrey averaged 5.8 yards per carry inside the tackles, three yards better than when he runs outside.
Shanahan finally figured it out and put McCaffrey in a position to be successful. Even Jordan Mason saw a bit of run spelling for McCaffrey in moments. Unfortunately, McCaffrey would suffer a knee injury around the 11-minute mark of the second quarter. He would not return with Mason taking over. Initially, the concern was for his Achilles, but either way, it’s a massive concern with McCaffrey.
The game was all but over for the 49ers going into halftime with a 21-3 deficit. What they needed was a miracle and for a second it looked like they were going to kickstart one. The 49ers came out on their opening series in the second half on fire. Mason picked up right where he left off running with great ferocity. Even Purdy was contributing to leading the offense down the field.
The 49ers got up to the Bills’ 4-yard line. A touchdown was ripe for the taking. And then, the most recent 2024 49ers thing happened. Instead of giving the ball to Mason, Kyle Shanahan elects to hand it off to Kyle Juszczyk who fumbles it with the Bills recovering and running it back for 43 yards. It’s a microcosm of the 49ers’ offense all season long.
Once that fumble occurred, there was no hope left. The 49ers blew their last chance at coming alive and keeping their fire lit for the game. All that mattered for the remainder of the game was escaping without any more injuries. Rookie Isaac Guerendo would score a touchdown at the three-minute mark of the third quarter, but it was too little too late. The deficit was 18 points at that point.
Nothing was going to get the 49ers back in the game. This is the team they are now. They’re incapable of mustering comebacks, injury-ridden, and lacking in focus. Their playoff hopes are ruined, which should be viewed as beneficial. What the 49ers need is to unplug and have a long offseason to regroup.
Going forward, evaluating the rookies and Purdy should be the focus.
