Coach Kyle Shanahan believed the 49ers had a chance, but simply missed too many opportunities in their 34-24 loss to the Buffalo Bills on Monday night.
Several players shared that they felt their game plan for the Bills was a great one. They weren’t surprised by what they saw from their opponents, and simply failed to execute on the field.
The 49ers' defense had no answer for quarterback Josh Allen, who completed 32 of his 40 attempts for 375 yards and four touchdowns. The Bills averaged 6.6 yards per play in a nearly mistake-free game, and the 49ers’ offense couldn’t keep up.
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“We needed to play our best, and I think that we were very close to doing it,” Shanahan said after the game. “We just had a few things that didn’t keep us out on the field, and when you do that versus an offense and a quarterback like that who is playing how they are and you don’t get it back from them, the game gets away from you.”
Shanahan said the loss felt a lot like the team’s 2019 shootout with the New Orleans Saints. The defense always was going to have its hands full trying to stop Allen and the Bills, so the onus was on QB Nick Mullens and the offense to keep up.
“I think we needed to keep matching them, and it was frustrating because I believe that we were capable of that,” Shanahan said. “We had our times, but we had to do it every time today and we didn’t get that done.”
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The 49ers left points on the field throughout the game, including at a pivotal time in the fourth quarter.
Wide receiver Kendrick Bourne's apparent touchdown was overturned after officials determined he was short of the goal line. On the ensuing play, Mullens was called for a false start on a QB sneak. Mullens then threw an interception to close out the series, and the 49ers' chances, with just over seven minutes remaining.
The defense didn't fare much better with missed chances. Kentavius Street's roughing-the-passer penalty led to the Bills extending their lead to 14 points in the third quarter, and Buffalo never looked back.
Linebacker Dre Greenlaw felt the 49ers had a great plan to contain Allen, but it didn't translate into success.
San Francisco 49ers
“I think that’s probably the worst part, we knew exactly what they were running just from head to toe, and we just came up short,” Greenlaw said. “It’s kind of a weird feeling. We knew exactly what they were running.”