Four Takeaways From the 49ers' 34-24 Week 13 Loss to Bills
Losing to the Buffalo Bills on Monday Night Football took a stab at the San Francisco 49ers' playoff hopes.
In fact, the Bills might have even hurt the 49ers' pyshce to a degree. That is how dominant they were. The 49ers just could not hit their stride after the first quarter.
It was a terrible loss for the 49ers who must now win out to keep their hopes for the playoffs alive and well.
But before getting to that, here are four takeaways from their 34-24 Week 13 loss to the Bills.
Robert Saleh is still a great defensive coordinator
I'm sure a ton of fans were up in arms about the 49ers defense getting gashed with Robert Saleh as the main culprit. Bills offensive coordinator Brian Daboll called a phenomenal game and did not allow Saleh to key in on any flaws. And even if Saleh was able to key in on those flaws, the Bills were just too much of a mismatch talentwise for the 49ers.
Saleh got whooped on Monday Night Football, but he is still a great defensive coordinator. The book on him does not change because of one bad game. Could he have adjusted more and done things differently? Sure. I am not sure how much of a difference it would have made though considering the lack of a pass rush. Not to mention the secondary was getting torched by the Bills' receivers.
So as much as Saleh could have made changes, I do not believe it would have changed the game. Buffalo pulled no punches and gave it their all against the 49ers. There is nothing to be ashamed of if you're Saleh because the defense was been impressive in almost every single game this season. Now it is about how they bounce back in Week 14 against the Washington Football Team.
Richard Sherman might be washed after all
Boy do I look nuts for calling Richard Sherman a top-10 cornerback after facing Jared Goff of all people. Sherman looked abysmal in his second game back from injury. Josh Allen could care less about the name on the back of the jersey. He picked on Sherman whenever he saw fit. In a game in which the 49ers desperately needed a lockdown cornerback, no one stepped up. Sherman of all people should have been that.
Unfortunately for the 49ers, Sherman might be washed after all. He had an impressive game against the Rams, but that was against Goff. Seeing him against a quarterback with actual talent exposes his flaws. Sherman could not guard Stefon Diggs or even Gabriel Davis. He just looked outright terrible.
It is a game like this that makes the 49ers feel valid in letting Sherman walk in free agency. His intelligence is phenomenal for the defense, but is it enough to make up for his lack of pace? I do not think the 49ers are benefitting much from it.
Raheem Mostert's underutilization is criminal
Raheem Mostert is the 49ers' best offensive weapon following George Kittle. Yet, for whatever reason, Kyle Shanahan decided to limit Mostert to 10 touches against the Bills. Yes, Buffalo was loading up the box to stop the run and the offense started trailing in the second quarter. But Mostert is a potential homerun play. Giving him a toss play is better than having Nick Mullens drop back in some situations.
The Bills are not a good run defense and it showed immediately on the 49ers' opening offensive series. Feeding Mostert a bit more would have allowed the 49ers to control the clock, give the defense a longer rest period and still have a chance for a homerun play.
I won't fully hold Mostert's underutilization against Shanahan for this game because he elected to have Mullens throw the ball and make the Bills pay for loading up the box. But it is still criminal to see such an elite player be limited by his own coach.
The 49ers are not going to the playoffs
Mathematically, the 49ers are still alive in the playoff hunt following their loss to the Bills. And with the Cardinals on a downward spiral, it looks a bit better for them to squeeze in. However, all of this "hope" is just based off of a stat sheet that provides percentages of likelihood. The 49ers are not going to playoffs. Does anyone who has actually watched this team in the last month actually believe they can do it?
Monday night was a perfect example as to why they cannot get into the playoffs. Outside of the Rams, the 49ers cannot defeat a playoff caliber opponent. Yes, rolling out a backup quarterback is suboptimal. But the 49ers' issues are more than just a backup quarterback. Their offensive line, especially the right side, has been horrendous. Mike McGlinchey, and whoever it is at right guard because it is such revolving door, are the Achilles heel of the offense.
Even when Mullens looks good, the right side of the offensive line fails to keep him flowing. They fail to keep the running game effective. You can even point to the defense with their lack of pass rush. Saleh has done a tremendous job with his group and they are a top-10 worthy defense. But without an adequate pass rush, offenses with actual talent will be able to roll them over. The coaches are just limited in what they can do to keep this team pushing forward towards the playoffs. Now they have to get ready for a surging Washington team who might actually end the 49ers' playoff hopes.
