Running back Christian McCaffrey refuses to comment on the doom and gloom surrounding the San Francisco 49ers as two straight losses left them below .500.
“I think the atmosphere outside of this locker room is probably a lot lower than it is inside,” McCaffrey said this week of the 49ers, who are tied for last place in the NFC West with the Los Angeles Rams, just one game behind the first place. Seattle and Arizona.
“I think our team is hungry,” he added. “We still have everything ahead of us and we are ready to go.”
How hungry and how ready will be determined on Sunday night, when the 49ers head east for the third time in four weeks, this time to play the runaway AFC East-leading Buffalo Bills (9-2).
As there are challenges for a team that needs a late-season push to make the playoffs — let alone a second straight Super Bowl appearance — San Francisco is dealing with injuries to key players and a potential lake-effect snowstorm that could disrupt any match. plan.
Niners quarterback Brock Purdy is expected to play after a sore throwing shoulder forced him to sit out a 38-10 loss in Green Bay last week. However, the 49ers have ruled out five starters, including top pass rusher Nick Bosa (hip, oblique) and left tackle Trent Williams (ankle).
The Buffalo region is under a lake effect storm advisory, with the prospect of 8 to 12 inches of snow falling over a 12 to 16 hour period starting Saturday.
“You have to be prepared for anything, just like you are with injuries,” coach Kyle Shanahan said. “But we fully understand what the elements could be.”
While the conditions will be the same for Buffalo, the Bills are used to playing in the snow after experiencing three major storms in the last two years. In January, the NFL had to one day push back Buffalo’s 31-17 wild-card playoff win over Pittsburgh.
“If anyone has done it enough, it’s me,” said quarterback Josh Allen, who is from central California but spent three collegiate seasons at Wyoming. “I feel like I’m very comfortable with whatever weather conditions come our way.”
Very little has hindered the Bills on their way to their best 11-game record since 1992. Buffalo has won six straight and scored 30 or more points in each of the past five games, and is one win away from clinching fifth division title in a row. .
Coach Sean McDermott didn’t expect he could reach the AFC East in Week 13. Miami, the Bills’ closest pursuer, lost in Green Bay on Thursday night and fell to 5-7.
“I don’t actually think you’re thinking that far ahead,” McDermott said. “I’m certainly grateful for it. And I appreciate the players for the way they played.”
The Bills are rested and coming off their bye week. And they’re getting healthier, with the prospect of linebacker Matt Milano returning after missing 14 months with a broken leg and torn left bicep.
“Obviously we’re confident in what we have going on here,” Allen said. “But we’re not in the playoffs yet, the job isn’t done yet. And we’re just trying to find a way to get to 1-0 this week.”
Run CMC
McCaffrey’s return would provide a major boost to San Francisco’s offense. It hasn’t happened yet. The 2023 AP Offensive Player of the Year has returned 149 yards rushing through three games, with his 3.5 yards per carry significantly lower than last season’s average of 5.4. The Niners ranked fourth in the NFL with 5.13 yards per carry through their first eight games, with McCaffrey sidelined by Achilles tendonitis.
“If you lose and maybe don’t jump on the stat sheet, it highlights your failures,” he said. “I’m happy to be here to play football and I know it will come with time.”
Weather or not
Bills rookie defensive tackle DeWayne Carter said playing in the snow is nothing new to him as he grew up in Columbus, Ohio. That was before he learned that lake effect storms can easily drop several feet of snow in less than a day, depending on which direction the winds are blowing from Lake Erie.
“Yes, that’s foreign,” Carter said. “Columbus is a little different when it comes to snow. There’s obviously no big lake or anything. But you know what, snow is snow.”
Missed tackles
The Niners were plagued by missing 19 tackles, according to Pro Football Focus, in the loss to Green Bay. That helped Packers running back Josh Jacobs gain 83 of his 106 yards after contact. Linebacker Fred Warner, who revealed he played the last seven games with a broken bone in his ankle, said the defense needs to swarm to the ball again.
“If you miss tackles, it’s usually not a problem if you have a few more guys ready to get them on the ground,” he said. “It’s a problem when there’s too much room for the runner to keep running.”
