After a stress-less weekend in Week 12, the Buffalo Bills are back in action this Sunday under bright lights where they will welcome the San Francisco 49ers. The race for the number one-seed in the AFC is on between the Bills and Kansas City Chiefs and the journey for Buffalo begins with the 49ers.
This isn’t your typical San Francisco team that has shown regular season dominance. They’ve been affected with injuries on the roster and quite frankly, their roster hasn’t exactly lived up to the level they usually play at. They are tied for 3rd place in the NFC West and they are dealing with some injuries to key players.
Brock Purdy, Trent Williams, and Nick Bosa all were inactive last Sunday against the Packers and the 49ers were completely destroyed. Whether they play or not on Sunday, they may not be 100 percent healthy.
Despite the adversity that the 49ers currently have, they could easily pull off an upset in front of Bills Mafia because they still have a ton of talent. We can’t forget about the presence of Christian McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel and George Kittle. Not to mention, linebacker Fred Warner and former Bill Leonard Floyd can cause havoc.
We had the chance to catch up with Peter Panacy, Site Expert for Niner Noise and collect some insights about the 49ers for this primetime matchup. Panacy was able to provide key information that Bills fans will want to know prior to kickoff.
Bills vs. 49ers Week 13 insights
1.) It's been an up-and-down year for the 49ers. Who will need to step up in a big way in order for them to pull off an upset against the Bills?
It sounds too easy an answer, but Week 12 will come down to a quarterback matchup: Brock Purdy versus an unashamed Niners fan in Josh Allen. While Purdy doesn't exactly have to match Allen's prowess and MVP-like efforts, the former still has to keep pace to an extent, which means limiting turnovers and helping San Francisco do what it hasn't done well this season, which is find pay dirt in the red zone.
Getting some complementary help from George Kittle might be nice, too.
2.) Leonard Floyd is set to make his return to Buffalo after being with the Bills last season. How much of an impact do you think he will make for the 49ers defense?
Floyd hasn't exactly been a disappointment this year, but he's far from the difference maker he used to be not long ago. There might be some added motivation to show off a bit back in Buffalo, but I'd edge on the side of Floyd being more of a non-factor than an impact player on Sunday night.
3.) What major weakness does San Francisco have that could ultimately cost them this game?
Pick your poison, if you're a 49ers fan.
The run defense has been atrocious, while the Niners' red-zone offense has been abysmal.
However, one consistent problem for San Francisco has been special teams. Whether it's a blocked punt, a muffed return, missed field goal or giving up a long return, special teams has given up some disastrous play on a near-weekly basis.
4.) It could be a snowy Sunday night game in Orchard Park. How will the weather play a factor into how the 49ers operate their offense?
The Niners are still a run-heavy team despite Purdy, Kittle and the presence of other notable pass catchers. This might entice head coach Kyle Shanahan to lean a bit more heavily on running back Jordan Mason, who was the guy when Christian McCaffrey was out. Mason is a tough downhill runner who doesn't shy away from contact, and that could be an X-factor when inclement weather is on the horizon.
