Bills dealt blow to 49ers’ playoff hopes
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Nick Mullens (4) throws over Buffalo Bills defensive tackle Harrison Phillips (99) during the second half of an NFL football game, Monday, Dec. 7, 2020, in Glendale, Ariz. The Bills won 34-24. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
2020.12.07 – The Buffalo Bills dealt a huge blow to the San Francisco 49ers’ playoff hopes. Bills stayed in sole possession of first place in the AFC East with an impressive 34-24 victory on Monday Night Football.
49ers’ Kendrick Bourne caught a pass from QB2 Nick Mullens and celebrated an apparent touchdown that would have kept San Francisco in the game.
The play got overturned by replay and instead of being able to move the ball the final few inches for a score, the 49ers self-destructed with a false start on an attempted quarterback sneak followed by an interception.
It was that kind of night for Mullens and the 49ers’ offense, which couldn’t keep up with QB Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills in San Francisco’s first game at its temporary new home in Arizona.
“We needed to play our best and I think we were very close to doing it,” coach Kyle Shanahan said. “We just had a few things that didn’t keep us out on the field. When you do that versus an offense and quarterback like that and you don’t get it back for a while, the game gets away from you.”
The Niners (5-7) were kicked out of their home in the Bay Area last week when Santa Clara County imposed new COVID-19 rules that prohibited contact sports games and practices.
The injury-riddled team packed up and relocated to Arizona with hopes of making a late-season playoff push a year after making it all the way to the Super Bowl. A few more wins would keep San Francisco in contention long enough for quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo and All-Pro tight end George Kittle to return from injuries.
The 49ers couldn’t get it done against Buffalo, although they wouldn’t use the unusual circumstances as an alibi.
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“No excuses. This is the NFL,” running back Jeff Wilson Jr. said. “We all know what’s at stake. We all know what we have to do and we didn’t get it done. We are professionals.”
A defense that looked so dominant a week ago in a win against the Los Angeles Rams was picked apart by Allen. Mullens made a few too many mistakes, preventing San Francisco from moving into a three-way tie with Minnesota and Arizona for the final NFC wild card.
This game turned on a few key sequences in the second half. San Francisco was in position to make a rare defensive stop when Kentavius Street needlessly shoved Allen late for a roughing-the-passer penalty that helped set up a 23-yard TD pass to Isaiah McKenzie against a blown coverage, making it 24-10.
“It felt like they were calling the perfect plays for everything we were dialing up,” linebacker Fred Warner said. “They did a great job on their end. We were trying different looks and different calls and we just couldn’t get off the field.”
Two plays later, Mullens’ pass deflected off receiver Brandon Aiyuk’s hands for an interception by Micah Hyde that set up a field goal that made it 27-10.
Mullens responded with a TD pass to fullback Kyle Juszczyk to cut the deficit back to 10, but another blown coverage led to a 28-yard TD pass to Gabriel Davis.
Then came the sequence at the goal line that ended with Mullens’ second interception as Tre’Davious White outfought Wilson for a ball at the goal line, sealing the defeat.
Now the Niners can ill afford another slip up if they have any hopes of returning to the postseason.
“They’re all must-wins,” cornerback Richard Sherman said. “We have to go out there and find a way to get it done. Unfortunately today we didn’t get it done on the defensive side of the ball.”
2020.12.07 – En español : El programa “Los 49ers” (Video)
2020.12.07 – En español: (Juego #13 de la temporada) Video SF 49ers vs. Bills: El programa “Los 49ers” con Sarina Soriano y los locutores Jesús Zárate y Carlos Ramirez hablando del partido de los 49ers. (video)
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JOSH ALLEN’S HOMECOMING, SORT OF
Allen had a big game against the 49ers, which is the team he rooted for while growing up in Firebaugh, California. The town is about a 3-hour drive from San Francisco, and Allen went to games as a kid with his family. This was the first time he had played against San Francisco.
INJURIES
Bills: Beasley left in the first quarter and was evaluated for a head injury but quickly returned. … RB Devin Singletary (knee) left in the first quarter but returned. … Safety Jaquan Johnson was hurt on a punt return in the fourth quarter and limped off the field with help.
49ers: DT D.J. Jones (ankle) left in the first half and didn’t return.
UP NEXT
The Bills host the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday night.
The 49ers stay in Arizona and they’ll host Washington on Sunday.
Related – See below: 49ers prepared for three-week trip
Related: 49ers rally for an upset over host Rams
Read more at: San Francisco 49ers Media Services / More AP NFL
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49ers prepared for ‘bumps in the road’ on 3-week trip
Santa Clara, Calif. The 49ers and other teams may need to find a temporary new home after Santa Clara County on Saturday, Nov. 28, 2020, banned all contact sports from holding games and practices for the next three weeks. County officials issued the directives in response to rising cases of the coronavirus in the area. The rules take effect Monday and will last for three weeks. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar, File)
2020.11.29 – The San Francisco 49ers are set to embark on an unusual three-week road trip after being kicked out of their stadium and practice facility because of strict new COVID-19 protocols in their home county.
The Niners will fly to Arizona on Wednesday where they will practice, live and play their next two games after Santa Clara County imposed a three-week ban on games and practices for contact sports.
The new rules that went into effect Monday and will last until at least Dec. 21 were announced Saturday as the Niners were preparing to fly to Los Angeles for a game against the Rams. The team scrambled to make new arrangements and settled on Arizona.