In initial Arizona ‘ home’ game, S. F. can’t solve QB Josh Allen.
The relocated 49ers might not be located in the playoffs this season.
The team that has been forced from Santa Clara indefinitely played its first game in a temporary home Monday night, and its postseason chances were dealt a blow in a 3424 loss to the Bills at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz.
The 49ers ( 57) are behind the Cardinals ( 66) and Vikings ( 66) for the NFC’s final playoff spot and currently would lose tiebreakers to both teams.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan said the 49ers need to finish 40 to have a postseason shot.
“We understand that that the focus has to be heightened,” left tackle Trent Williams
Passing yards for Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen, the most allowed by the 49ers’ defense since Week 6 of 2018, when Aaron Rodgers of the Packers threw for 425.
said. “And we really don’t have a lot of wiggle room.”
The 49ers arrived with bolstered hopes after a 2320 upset win in which they flummoxed Rams quarterback Jared Goff.
However, the NFL’s fifthranked defense was filleted Monday by QB Josh Allen.
The seventh overall pick in 2018 inspired this question with his performance: Why wasn’t he selected No. 1?
Allen completed 32 of 40 passes for 375 yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions, posting a 139.1 passer rating. He became the second QB to have at least 375 passing yards, 30 completions and four touchdowns against the 49ers, joining the Chargers’ Dan Fouts ( 1982).
The Bills ( 93) had 449 yards, the most the 49ers have allowed this season, and 31 first downs, which matched the fourth most they have allowed in franchise history.
Allen “played a freaking fantastic game,” cornerback Richard Sherman said.
Said running back Jeff Wilson: “They had their foot on the gas from the first play until the end. And we couldn’t match it.”
Buffalo’s Allenled offense didn’t need much assistance, but the 49ers provided it with penalties on two of the Bills’ first three touchdown drives.
With the game tied 77 in the second quarter, inside linebacker Fred Warner had an acrobatic interception that he tipped to himself, but the pick was negated by an illegal-contact penalty on Sherman.
The result: The Bills continued a 14play, 69yard drive that was capped by Allen’s 4yard touchdown pass to tight end Dawson Knox.
In the third quarter, with the Bills leading 1710 and facing 2nd and 18 at the 49ers’ 39yard line, Allen tossed an incompletion that was erased because defensive tackle Kentavius Street was called for roughing the passer.
The result: Two plays later, Allen lofted a 23yard scoring pass to wideout Isaiah McKenzie, who beat strong safety Tarvarius Moore to give Buffalo a 2410 lead.
The 49ers were roasted partly because they barely touched Allen, managing just one sack and three QB hits. Asked why the 49ers didn’t blitz more often, Shanahan noted they tried that. And nothing worked.
“Obviously, it didn’t work out well,” Shanahan said. “I know that we did blitz sometimes … but when we did blitz, he got away from it and made some big plays with receivers running across the field. When we didn’t, he dinked and dunked it and got after us, too.”
With the 49ers trailing 2717 early in the fourth quarter, Allen delivered once more.
First, on 4thand2 from the 49ers’ 35yard line, he completed a 7yard pass to wideout Stefon Diggs. Two plays later, Allen tossed a 28yard touchdown to Gabriel Davis, who had no Niner near him because of a blown coverage.
Sherman, who was in the area, was gesturing toward teammates as Davis was in the end zone.
“It was just one of those plays,” Sherman said. “They caught us in one with a ton of moving parts. Some people got the communication. And some didn’t. And you can’t have plays like that.”
The game started with a bizarre first quarter in which both offenses opened with long drives that netted no points.
First, Buffalo went on a 11play, 74yard drive that ended when Allen threw an incompletion on 4th and goal at the 1yard line.
Next, the 49ers went on a 13play, 97yard march that ended when running back Jeff Wilson was stopped for no gain on 4th and goal at the 1yard line.
On the next play, however, the 49ers’ offense was back in business: Running back Zach Moss bobbled the handoff and Warner recovered the fumble at the 3yard line.
Three plays later, the 49ers took a 70 lead on Nick Mullens’ 2yard pass to wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk.
“This loss isn’t going to break us,” Mullens said. “There’s a lot of football left to be played.”