Buffalo Bills: 49ers present necessary tough test in Week 13
The Buffalo Bills go into Week 13 needed another big performance against a San Francisco 49ers team that has a lot to play for.
A few weeks ago, this Buffalo Bills Week 13 matchup against the San Francisco 49ers might have been viewed differently based on where both teams were in the standings. But now, it presents a unique challenge.
When Jimmy Garoppolo and George Kittle were put on injured reserve they joined star pass rusher Nick Bosa, Solomon Thomas as important players the 49ers would have to push forward without. It’s been challenging at times for San Francisco but the team remains in a position to push for the playoffs.
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The 49ers would have to leapfrog the Minnesota Vikings and Chicago Bears and hope the Arizona Cardinals falter which is why this won’t be a walk in the park for Buffalo. The Bills should have gained some confidence following their win over the Los Angeles Chargers but they also got away with some careless mistakes.
San Francisco presents a tougher challenge with a healthier offense following the return of Deebo Samuel and Raheem Mostert. This allows Kyle Shanahan to open up the playbook offensively and considering the Bills’ struggles to contain the run, you can be sure the 49ers to make this a focal point.
Buffalo will also need their secondary to be ready for the return of Brandon Aiyuk who missed the last game after getting placed on the COVID list. Fortunately, the Chargers’ potent offense provided a strong challenge and the Bills defense put forth a strong performance.
This is also a rare Monday Night game for the Bills and it will be interesting to see how they deal with the spotlight on them despite the game not having the same atmosphere (and it already being moved to Arizona). The 49ers are 1-4 at home which has been a strange development.
The Bills offense relies on the pass game heavily with Josh Allen who has 3,208 yards, 22 touchdowns and eight interceptions. He will face a tough challenge against the 49ers secondary who allow 206.5 yards per game which is the fourth-best unit in the league.
Considering how the LA Rams offense struggled heavily against San Francisco, the Bills need to be prepared for their run game to take on some of the slack. This might also mean we see Allen rush the ball more than we’ve seen in the past.
If the Bills want to maintain their advantage in the AFC East and remain a top seed in the conference then they cannot give the 49ers a chance to establish their game and have to avoid the costly mistakes which have become too familiar.
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What do you think the Bills’ chances look like against the 49ers? Can they find more balance in their offensive game? Let us know in the comments below.