49ers vs. Bills: 5 Keys to Win in Week 13

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It’s Week 13 and the San Francisco 49ers are 5-6 on the season. The team heads to Buffalo to take on the AFC leaders on Sunday night. The 49ers faced their fourth team after their bye week. What will it take for the 49ers to win this weekend? Welcome to Keys to Victory.

Contain QB

Josh Allen is one of the elite cornerbacks in the NFL. His size and ability will allow him to make smart runs. The 49ers must maintain their edge and not allow Allen to throw the ball out of the pocket. Watch Allen to prevent big runs to the center.

Stop running

In Week 12 against the Packers, the 49ers defense allowed 19 missed tackles. The 49ers need to stop the run and force Allen to become one-dimensional. Expect the Bills to get the agility and explosiveness from James Cook, their leading rusher, and mix it up with a strong interior run from rookie running back Ray Davis.

The 49ers will be without Nick Bosa and Jordan Elliott on the defensive line, but they will likely return Kevin Givens. Hopefully Givens will help the offense and allow the 49ers linebackers to fill gaps and make tackles with little to no gain.

Limit fines

The 49ers committed nine penalties in their loss to the Packers. They have to find a way to not get down on themselves and be the most disciplined version of themselves on the field.

Fulfill

The 49ers must be offensive, rushing and passing. Receivers must catch passes, block and perform basic plays. The offensive line must perform both run blocking and pass blocking. Their number one job is to create holes for running backs and keep the quarterback’s pocket clean. Running backs must make the right cuts.

Snow is in the forecast, so this could be a big game for Christian McCaffrey and running back. The quarterback must accept what the defense is giving up. If they fold the box, check the quick pass. To win this game, you’ll need to spend the entire game shutting down 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan’s offense.

No RPM

The 49ers turned the ball over three times against the Packers. Quarterback Brandon Allen intercepted the ball and fumbled the ball twice, with one recovered by the Packers. Running back Christian McCaffrey also failed to complete a 23-yard pass late in the game. These small mistakes could cost the 49ers a win. Lose the turnover battle, lose the game.

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Bills head coach Sean McDermott is undefeated. That doesn’t mean the 49ers don’t have a chance in this game. 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy hasn’t lost a game in prime time this season. If the 49ers stick to the keys to winning, they will win.

• Wrote:

  Wayne Breezy is a content creator for the 49ers. He first appeared as a guest on Ronbosports in 2012. He started writing for a Facebook group called League of the 49ers. He then began writing for Nothing But Niners in 2017. In 2018, Wayne Breezy debuted on the YouTube show Nothing But Niners. In 2019, he launched his podcast called Nitty Gritty Niners. After putting down her pen for several years, Breezy saw an opportunity to write for 49erscap.com. His first published article was in January 2022 on 49ersCap, and he currently writes and produces weekly podcasts.

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