BY: JOE KONZE JR
Sloppy, haphazard, hit-or-miss.
These are just a few words you could use to describe Buffalo’s 27-17 victory over Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday.
But at 8-3, a primetime game coming up on Monday night, and the AFC East title staring them right in the face, to the Bills, a win is a win.
After new COVID-19-related restrictions were announced last Saturday by Santa Clara County, that prevents contact sports in the county for at least the next three weeks, the Bills will travel to State Farm Stadium in Glendale, AZ for the second time this season to take on the San Francisco 49ers (5-6).
The 49ers, led by quarterback Nick Mullens, sit one game out of an NFC Wild Card spot and are coming off of an exhilarating 23-20 win over the Los Angeles Rams. For the Bills, they hold a one-game lead in the AFC East over the Miami Dolphins (7-4) and are on a quest to win their first AFC East title since 1995.
With another, “must-win” game on the horizon for the Bills, here a few things to watch out for in Monday night’s matchup.
Last time they met:
All eyes were on the Bills and 49ers the last time they met at Bills Stadium back on Oct. 16, 2016.
Bills fans were vociferous in Kaepernick’s protest of the national anthem as the he took to the field.
Led by running back LeSean McCoy, the Bills crushed the 49ers 46-16. McCoy had 19 carries for 140 yards and three touchdowns. Tyrod Taylor was 16 of 25 for 179 yards and two touchdowns.
He said it:
“I think we have a better idea of who were are and [have] an identity of some sort. Every week we switch it up a bit according to the game plan, but as a team, we know that we’re going to do whatever it takes to win a football game, and our guys are going to do whatever it is they are called upon to do. Our guys work extremely hard. It pays dividends. It really does. Being 8-3 this year and last year, we didn’t finish good enough last year, and we know that. We know we have to go out there and put our best foot forward and try to go 1-0 each week.”
Buffalo Bills’ quarterback Josh Allen on the growth of this year’s Bills team
Key Players to watch:
San Francisco 49ers- Wide Receiver Deebo Samuel:
It will be another tough task for the Bills’ secondary on Monday night as they prepare for a battle against wide receiver Deebo Samuel.
Samuel returned to the lineup against the Rams last weekend after missing three games due to a hamstring injury. He finished the game with a season-high 11 receptions for 133 yards. 83 of Samuel’s 133 yards came after contact. That is the most by a wide receiver in the NFL this season.
The Bills held Chargers’ wide receiver Keenan Allen to just four receptions for 40 yards last weekend. Can they hold off another talented wide receiver?
Buffalo Bills- Wide receiver Gabriel (not Gabe) Davis:
Yes, John Brown was placed on IR with an ankle injury and will be out for at least another two weeks, but can we put some respect on rookie wide receiver Gabriel (not Gabe) Davis’ name?
So far this season, Davis has 22 receptions for 354 yards and four touchdowns. Against the Chargers, the 6-foot-2, 210-pound wide receiver flashed some real big-time potential and hauled in three passes for 79 yards that included a 20-yard touchdown pass from wide receiver Cole Beasley on a trick play.
Later on in the game, Davis snagged a Josh Allen pass for a 44-yard gain. With Brown out for another two weeks, it’s a golden opportunity for Davis to showcase his talents.
Key Matchup: Cole Beasley vs. 49ers secondary
Is there anything that Cole Beasley can’t do?
Give him a microphone, and he will leave you speechless like B. Rabbit left the crowd at, “The Shelter,” in the final scene of 8 Mile. Give him a swing pass to the sideline, and he will toss a 20-yard touchdown pass to a wide-open receiver. Give him a pass underneath, and he will cut through opposing teams’ secondary like a knife cutting through warm, silky butter that just came out of the microwave.
The swiss army knife receiver is having a strong 2020 season for the Bills. In 11 games, Beasley has 57 receptions, 667 yards and three touchdowns. On Monday night when the Bills take the field at State Farm Stadium, Beasley will have a favorable matchup against a banged up San Francisco secondary.
The 49ers will be without nickel cornerbacks K’waun Williams (ankle) and Jamar Taylor (ACL). Third-string defensive back Emmanuel Moseley (hamstring) was limited in practice this week.
If it comes down to Moseley or a fourth string option covering the slot, the 49ers might be scared to death, scared to look, or shook by Beasley.
And we all know, there ain’t no such things as halfway crooks.
Moss, Singletary starting to come alive:
Every week sounds like a broken record when it comes to the Bills’ rushing attack. But it is true, if they plan to make a deep postseason run, they are going to have to find an effective way to move the ball on the ground.
Against the Chargers last weekend, both Devin Singletary and Zack Moss turned in a strong performance. Both running backs combined for 20 carries for 140 yards and averaged 7.05 yards per carry. This week will be a tough test for the Bills’ duo. They will face-off against a 49ers rushing defense that ranks 10th in the league and has only given up 108.7 yards per game
With just five games left in the season and the playoffs on the horizon, now would be a good time to get it right, especially against a strong rushing defense.
Stopping the Run
Last weekend against the Rams, Mostert returned to the lineup after missing six games. He sprained his knee in Week 2, which knocked him out for two games, and then in Week 6, he suffered a high ankle sprain that placed him on the IR. He managed 16 carries for 43 yards and a touchdown. It wasn’t a dominant performance but let’s not forget, Mostert has straight-up blinding speed.
If you let him get out in space, he will be gone faster than a speeding bullet. He is still averaging 5.2 yards per carry this season and the Bills’ run defense ranks 25th in the league against the run (129.6 YPG).
After holding Chargers’ running back Austin Ekeler to just 24 carries for 76 yards last weekend, can the Bills tame another talented elusive running back for the second straight week?
Predictions:
There’s a lot to be excited for in this matchup. For starters, it’s a Monday Night Football primetime game for the Buffalo Bills, and second, San Francisco is a little banged up. The 49ers are without Jimmy Garrapalo, George Kittle, and Nick Bosa. They are down to their third or fourth option at the nickel corner spot. What more could you ask for in a matchup? The biggest test for the Bills will be defending wide receiver Deebo Samuel and running back Raheem Mostert. 83 of Samuel’s 133 yards came after contact last weekend against the Rams. The Bills will have to wrap him up and bring him down. We all know what the fleet-footed Mostert can do. If the Bills can eliminate big plays from this 49ers offense and apply pressure early and often, they capture their ninth win of the season.
Buffalo 27, San Francisco 17
Ooooh, buddy, the Buffalo Bills are heading back to the desert, just 3 weeks after the “Hail Murray” in a neutral-site Monday Night showdown against the 49ers. The Bills are sitting pretty at 8-3 and in the captain’s chair for a playoff spot, while the 49ers are faltering at 5-6 after an injury-plagued season thus far. Buffalo’s defense is starting to return to 2019 form and will have their plates full with a reload coming to the 49ers’ offense with the returns of Debo Samuel and Raheem Mostert…but are still without Jimmy G and George Kittle. I don’t think San Fran can keep pace with Buffalo in this one, and the Bills pull away with a rare prime time win (just 1-5-1 ATS in the last 7 prime time games) and give us a cover.
Buffalo 27, San Francisco 16
The Sports Desk can be reached at editorialtrainwrecksports@gmail.com
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