Orchard Park, N.Y. (WGR Sports Radio 550) - In a spectacle of December football on Sunday night, the Buffalo Bills defeated the San Francisco 49ers, 35-10, at Highmark Stadium to capture a fifth-straight AFC East title.
The Bills were unable to get much of anything going on their opening drive of the game, punting the ball away after a quick three-and-out.
Buffalo's defense was put to the test early, as running backs Christian McCaffrey and Jordan Mason helped the 49ers march down the field on their opening drive. After an incomplete pass on third down at the Buffalo 15-yard line, Jake Moody was called upon to put the 49ers on the board first with a 33-yard field goal.
The Bills answered right back on their second drive, and barely flinched from there.
The running game with Ray Davis, James Cook, and Ty Johnson helped put Buffalo in scoring position, and it was the rookie Davis capping off the drive with a 13-yard touchdown run, giving the Bills the lead.
As the second quarter began, McCaffrey continued to dominate the Bills defense with multiple big runs. However, the Bills defense came up with a big stop on third down in their own territory, forcing another field goal attempt from Moody, which his missed in the blowing snow.
To make matters worse for the 49ers, McCaffrey was forced to leave the game for San Francisco with a knee injury and did not return.
Buffalo capitalized on the missed field goal quickly, as Cook blasted past the 49ers defense for an exhilarating 65-yard touchdown run.
Buffalo's defense began to shut down San Francisco's offense, significantly pressuring Brock Purdy. After another third down stop by Greg Rousseau, the Bills got the ball back and went back to work offensively.
With the clock bleeding into the final minute of play in the half, Allen found the end zone for the first time through the air, as he connected with Mack Hollins for a seven-yard score.
The touchdown pass for Allen was a significant one, as he surpassed Hall of Fame quarterback Jim Kelly for the most total touchdowns in franchise history at 245.
As the first half came to a close, the 49ers looked to get, at least, a field goal on the board, setting Moody up for a long 55-yard attempt in the wintry conditions. However, he missed the kick just short, and San Francisco was unsuccessful cutting into the Bills' 21-3 lead at halftime.
After receiving the second half kickoff, the 49ers made quick work of the Bills and found their way back into the red zone. However, the drive died at the one-yard line when fullback Kyle Juszczyk had the ball punched out of his arms by safety Taylor Rapp.
Christian Benford recovered the fumble and returned it 43 yards before getting taken out of bounds near midfield.
After both teams exchanged punts on their following drives, the Bills broke the streak after a successful fourth down conversion where Allen found Khalil Shakir for an 18-yard gain to the 49ers' seven-yard line.
On the very next play, Allen connected on a short pass with Amari Cooper, who was quickly bottled up by a trio of 49ers defenders. However, Cooper's quick thinking led to him lateraling the ball back to Allen, who then took off, diving for the pylon to put the Bills back in the end zone.
The play was credited not only a passing touchdown for Allen, but also a receiving touchdown for the Bills quarterback. He becomes just the fourth quarterback in NFL history to receive a touchdown pass he threw to himself.
The 49ers offense got their first points on the board since the first quarter with a 15-yard touchdown after Purdy connected with Issac Guerendo.
With the game now into the fourth quarter, the 49ers' hopes of a comeback started to fade after Purdy fumbled the football on a pass attempt in the snow and win. The Bills defense jumped right on the loose ball, flipping possession and momentum back in Buffalo's favor.
Four plays later, Allen capped another drive off himself, stepping up in the pocket, then taking off and blasting his way into the end zone for a rushing touchdown.
If Allen hadn't set history enough in this game, the Bills quarterback also became the first quarterback in NFL history to throw, receive, and rush for a touchdown in a single game.
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On the ensuing kickoff, 49ers returner Deebo Samuel had the ball stripped from his hands by Bills rookie safety Cole Bishop, which was then recovered by wide receiver Jalen Virgil. That gave the Bills the ball back with 12:22 to go, all but officially sinking San Francisco.
With the Bills up by 25 points in the fading moments of action, the Bills decided to give Allen the rest of the night off, allowing backup Mitch Trubisky to take over under center to ice the game.
Despite a missed 49-yard field goal from Bills kicker Tyler Bass, that didn't stop the party at Highmark Stadium, as the Bills forced a quick three-and-out of the 49ers before chewing up the remaining game clock to claim victory, and officially secure their fifth-straight AFC East title.
The win also improved Buffalo to 10-2 on the 2024 season, and was the Bills' seventh-straight victory.
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SCORING RECAP
First Quarter:
- 3-0 SAN FRANCISCO: 49ers field goal (7:44) - Jake Moody's 33-yard field goal attempt is good.
Drive info: 9 plays, 48 yards, 4:37
- 7-3 BUFFALO: Bills touchdown (0:08) - Ray Davis scampers to the outside for a 5-yard touchdown run. (Tyler Bass' extra point attempt is good)
Drive info: 14 plays, 70 yards, 7:38
Second Quarter:
- 14-3 BUFFALO: Bills touchdown (8:48) - James Cook finds a hole and cuts down the sidelines for a 65-yard touchdown run. (Tyler Bass' extra point attempt is good)
Drive info: 1 play, 65 yards, 0:10
- 21-3 BUFFALO: Bills touchdown (0:41) - Josh Allen fires a strike to Mack Hollins for a 7-yard touchdown pass. (Tyler Bass' extra point attempt is good)
Drive info: 9 plays, 97 yards, 2:50
Third Quarter:
- 28-3 BUFFALO: Bills touchdown (6:05) - Josh Allen completes a short pass to Amari Cooper, who then laterals back to Allen, who takes it seven yards for a touchdown reception. (Tyler Bass' extra point attempt is good)
Drive info: 6 plays, 44 yards, 3:05
- 28-10 BUFFALO: 49ers touchdown (2:54) - Brock Purdy connects with Issac Guerendo for a 15-yard touchdown. (Jake Moody's extra point attempt is good)
Drive info: 6 plays, 48 yards, 2:56
Fourth Quarter:
- 35-10 BUFFALO: Buffalo touchdown (12:39) - Josh Allen steps up in the pocket, then takes off for an 8-yard touchdown run. (Tyler Bass' extra point attempt is good)
Drive info: 4 plays, 25 yards, 2:22
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SKYWORKS EQUIPMENT RENTAL STATS OF THE GAME:
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What's next:
The Bills head to sunny Los Angeles to take on the Rams next Sunday at SoFi Stadium. Kickoff is slated for 4:25 p.m. EST, and can be heard on the official voice of the Bills - WGR Sports Radio 550.