The Buffalo Bills dominated the San Francisco 49ers, 35-10, in their Week 13 “Sunday Night Football” clash.
The story entering the weekend was the weather. It ended with a decisive Bills victory.
It was the 49ers (5-7) who opened the scoring. San Francisco jumped to an early three-point lead on a Jake Moody field goal in the middle of the first quarter.
After that Niners score, it was all Buffalo (10-2). The Bills would end the first half with touchdowns on three consecutive drives.
Fourth-round rookie running back Ray Davis capped off a 13-play drive with a five-yard touchdown rush. On the ensuing drive, James Cook rushed for an electric 65-yard run. Finally, receiver Mack Hollins posted up in the corner of the end zone for the third touchdown for the Bills.
San Francisco missed two field goals in the half. Buffalo went into the half with a comfortable 21-3 lead.
The 49ers opening drive looked promising. Wideout Deebo Samuel returned the opening kickoff 60 yards. However, the Bills defense came up big, with safety Taylor Rapp forcing a Kyle Juszczyk fumble at the one-yard line.
The Bills then scored on one of the wildest plays that we’ve ever seen. Allen threw a short pass to Amari Cooper. Cooper, at the eight-yard line and surrounded by defenders, pitched the ball back to Allen. The QB sprinted toward the pylon for the score.
San Francisco responded with their best drive of the evening thus far. The 49ers had another short field after a great kickoff return by Samuel. Running back Issac Guerendo sealed the drive with a 15-yard touchdown rush.
Buffalo continued the avalanche against the 49ers. The Bills defense forced two more fumbles in the fourth quarter.
Sandwiched between the Niners series that ended with fumbles was another Buffalo touchdown. Allen rushed for eight yards to give the Bills a 25-point lead.
The remainder of the game was an exercise in futility for the 49ers. They turned the ball over, dropped passes, and missed tackles.
With just under eight minutes in the game, the Buffalo starters took a seat for the evening.
Buffalo would conclude with an emphatic victory on the national stage. Buffalo clinches the AFC East crown for the fifth consecutive year.
With that, here is Bills Wire’s instant analysis to the team’s win over the 49ers:
Final score: 35-10
Getty
Scoring summary:
First Quarter
SF 3, BUF 0: Jake Moody 33-yard field goal. (7:41)
BUF 7, SF 3: Ray Davis 5-yard rush. Tyler Bass PAT. (0:03)
Second Quarter
BUF 14, SF 3: James Cook 65-yard touchdown rush. Tyler Bass PAT. (8:38)
BUF 21, SF 3: Mack Hollins 7-yard reception from Josh Allen. Tyler Bass PAT. (0:41)
Third Quarter
BUF 28, SF 3: Josh Allen touchdown. Allen pass to Amari Cooper, who lateraled to Allen. Tyler Bass PAT. (5:58)
BUF 28, SF 10: Issac Guerendo 15-yard touchdown rush. Jake Moody PAT. (3:04)
Fourth Quarter
BUF 35, SF 10: Josh Allen 8-yard touchdown rush. Tyler Bass PAT (12:31)
Ground Attack
Getty
The game plan was completely skewed toward the ground attack. The weather put a damper on long passes. However, both teams found success by running the ball.
Before the kneel downs, the Bills rushed for 223 yards on 35 carries, averaging a robust 6.4 yards per carry. Buffalo finished with three rushing touchdowns: Ray Davis, James Cook, and Josh Allen found the end zone on rushes. The Bills found success with having a sixth offensive lineman on the field throughout the game.
The 49ers found some success rushing the ball as well. San Francisco rushed 27 times for 153 yards, good for 5.7 yards per carry.
Making history
Getty
Josh Allen ended up with one of the craziest stat lines in NFL history. Allen is the first quarterback in NFL history to score a touchdown in three ways: throwing a touchdown, earning a receiving score, and rushing for another.
The MVP candidate capped off the improbable trifecta by gaining a receiving touchdown without being credited with a catch.
Allen threw a shore pass to receiver Amari Cooper, who was stopped at the eight-yard line. Cooper, surrounded by a wall of defenders, improvised and lateraled the ball back to Allen. The QB accelerated to the pylon, diving for the score.
Key stats
Getty
- Josh Allen accounted for 173 yards on the night (148 passing, 18 rushing yards, and 7 receiving yards).
- Allen contributed four touchdowns (two passing, one passing, and one receiving).
- James Cook led the way with 107 yards on 14 carries. Cook had the sensational 65-yard touchdown rush to blow the game open for the Bills.
- Greg Rousseau continued to terrify opposing offenses. Rousseau ended the night with four tackles, three tackles for loss, and a sack.
- Terrel Bernard led the Bills with nine total tackles.
- Matt Milano registered five tackles (three solo) in his first action since Week 5 of the 2023 season.
- Mack Hollins caught his fourth touchdown pass on the season, tying his career-best.
- Eight different receivers caught passes from Allen.
- Buffalo forced three fumbles. The Bills recovered all three fumbles.
- The Bills defense gave up only two first downs in the second half.
What’s next?
USAT
Buffalo travels to the west coast to face the Los Angeles Rams in Week 14. The Rams (6-6) currently sit in 10th place in the NFC playoff standings, a game and a half behind the Washington Commanders for the final Wild Card spot.
