The 49ers got demolished Sunday night. It was a snow bowl in which the Bills got downhill and stayed downhill as they ran the 49ers into the ground.
San Francisco lost 35-10 and Christian McCaffrey in a game that may serve as an apt representation of a season that was never meant to be.
Christian McCaffrey's injury
The 49ers tried to sell everyone on a comeback in the second of half of the season. This would be like 2021 or 2022! But the reality has long been that this felt like 2020.
That season, of course, was defined by injuries of the most devastating variety. The 49ers had season-ending injuries to Javon Hargrave, Brandon Aiyuk and Talanoa Hufanga, among others. They will have to hope it's not over for Christian McCaffrey.
McCaffrey left with a non-contact injury in his left leg that was deemed a knee injury. A replay from behind showed a ripple in his leg that went up from his calf. The 49ers will provide an update when one is available, but he was ruled out by the start of the second half.
Their argument for being able to make a real run this season was McCaffrey. They guaranteed him money without any obligation to. And now they likely have to run the table, and may not have him.
Unable to stop the run
The conditions made it near impossible for either side to hold up against the run. But the 49ers were particularly pathetic against the Bills' run game, especially in the first half.
While the 49ers were able to run the ball themselves, they ended up going for field goals, and missed a couple. The Bills just punched the ball in.
Buffalo ran 38 times for 220 yards. Even with the 49ers running 27 times for 153 yards, it was irrelevant.
The got run out of Buffalo's building sad and cold while the Bills celebrated a fifth-straight AFC East title. It's going to be a long flight home to San Jose.
The reality
It's hard to imagine this team going anywhere.
There were a couple of theoretical chances for the 49ers to get back into it. When they drove the length of the field to cut it to 28-10, they put the ball in Kyle Juszczyk's hands, who fumbled at the one-yard line.
Brock Purdy fumbled a ball without a soul around him and turned it over. Deebo Samuel turned over the ball on a kick return.
That's just mentioning a few of the outrageous, borderline hilarious mishaps. And no one should be surprised. Even with this team getting push on the offense line with backups, their defensive front got worked. The offense came up short, and turned it over multiple times.
Folks, this is not a serious football team. It has not been a serious football team all year. Now, they'll try and run the table and win five straight to make the playoffs with no easy outs. If they somehow accomplish that, it will be because they look fundamentally different than the team we have seen all season long. Does anyone believe they're capable of that? No one should.