ORCHARD PARK, NY – Here's how the 49ers (5-7) fared in Sunday night's 35-10 loss to the AFC East-winning Buffalo Bills (9-2):

Pass offense: D-

The smartest thing you’ll be able to say: Brock Purdy said his “arm is fine” every week after he was forced to miss the 49ers' 38-10 humiliation at Green Bay due to shoulder soreness. A blizzard in Buffalo didn't improve the passing conditions, so it's no surprise that he threw for just 94 yards on 11 of 18 passes. The next smartest thing you could possibly say: George Kittle's 7-yard reception on the 49ers' first snap kept alive his streak of catching a pass in all 120 games of his profession, including the playoffs. Then Kittle disappeared from the statistics, as a substitute getting used on blocking duty and later playing a brief pass near the 49ers' goal line. Ricky Pearsall went with no catch for the third straight game, while Purdy focused on Jauan Jennings (three catches, 56 yards) and Deebo Samuel (4 catches, just 20 yards). The departure of Christian McCaffrey obviously robbed the 49ers offense of a brief pass when it needed it. Purdy lost a fumble on a sack and the ball slipped out of his hands on one other throw, however the protection behind left backups Jaylon Moore and Ben Bartch gave the impression to be sufficient.

RUN OFFENSE: B-

McCaffrey suffered a potentially season-ending injury to the posterior cruciate ligament in his right knee, ruining the mood of this game even before the Bills' flurry of touchdowns put the rating out of reach. McCaffrey managed runs of 19 and 18 yards throughout the season and was as high as 58 yards on six carries before testing his knee and intentionally slipping on his final run for a 5-yard loss. That opened the door for early-season star Jordan Mason, and he gained 78 yards on 13 carries (none in the ultimate quarter). Isaac Guerendo was also called and scored the 49ers' only touchdown (15-yard run, third quarter; lead blocks by Kittle and Kyle Juszczyk). But of all of the runs in the sport, the 2 crucial ones were McCaffrey's 18-yard throw, on which he injured his knee, and Juszczyk's fumble on the 1-yard line, which ruined the primary drive after halftime.

PASS DEFENSE: D+

Nick Bosa missed his second straight game, so it was no surprise that MVP candidate Josh Allen wasn't sacked and was only hit within the pocket once (by rookie defensive tackle Evan Anderson). Allen accomplished 13 of 17 passes for 148 yards and two touchdowns, including one he was credited with for a rating on one Amari Cooper sideways and a dive for a touchdown within the third quarter that gave the Bills a 28-3 lead. The snowy field made route running difficult, but rookie cornerback Renardo Green was also hindered from making some necessary completions. Charvarius Ward incurred a third-down penalty for illegal contact on the Bills' first touchdown drive after a four-game absence and failed to forestall two touchdowns in the primary half. Still, getting back into motion was a positive for Ward, and the 49ers needed him with Deommodore Lenoir inactive for the primary time this season.

RUN DEFENSE: F

This unit is the bane of the 49ers' existence in 2024, or not less than it rivals the special teams woes. The 49ers rushed for a season-high 220 yards on 38 carries and allowed three more rushing touchdowns to bring this season's total to 19, which is greater than in any of Shanahan's previous seven seasons. James Cook threw a 65-yard touchdown run on the Bills' first series after McCaffrey's departure, and the Bills were away. Linebacker Fred Warner was not on the sector for that play due to what he described as “unusual” forearm cramps; Whether or not it had anything to do with it, Warner was sleeveless during pregame warmups. But the 49ers' running problems initiate front and the emergency defense line isn't doing its job.

SPECIAL TEAMS: D

Samuel had a 60-yard kick return to start out the second half and averaged 30.4 yards on six returns, but he also fumbled one other return. Jake Moody made his first field goal attempt (33 yards), but he missed two more field goal attempts (45 yards, 55 yards) before halftime because the 49ers desperately looked for points.

COACHING: F

It's no surprise that the 49ers are on a three-game losing streak, but the way in which they exited here on the road after a 38-10 loss at Green Bay shows how far the mighty have fallen under Kyle Shanahan are. This strong team is missing necessary players (Bosa, Williams, Brandon Aiyuk and now McCaffrey again). The 49ers appear to be overwhelmed every week. Shanahan admitted after that defeat that this is just not the identical club that has been on the rise in recent times. One more month until an off-season is required to make the essential improvements in personnel, attitude, discipline, etc.

Javon Hargrave, who was last seen celebrating a sack against the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday before leaving the sector as a consequence of injury, will undergo surgery for a torn triceps and can miss the remainder of the season.

It was the newest wave of injuries for the 49ers, who’ve a 1-2 record after a 27-24 away loss to the Rams.

“It's a big loss,” coach Kyle Shanahan said Monday in a conference call with local reporters. “I thought he played his best game yesterday and was a big factor. He impacted the quarterback in that game. It's a big loss. He's one of our better players. He was on the right track and would have had a great year.”

Shanahan said there may be a slim likelihood Hargrave could return after surgery if the 49ers make it deep into the playoffs, however it is more likely he is not going to play again until 2025.

Hargrave was the 49ers' most useful free agent ahead of the 2023 season, signing a four-year, $84 million max contract after playing for the Philadelphia Eagles. He is the newest in a wave of injuries that also includes 2023 NFL Offensive Player of the Year Christian McCaffrey (Achilles tendonitis), wide receiver Deebo Samuel (calf strain) and tight end George Kittle (hamstring).

McCaffrey, who has no less than two games left on the injured list, has left the country to receive treatment, Shanahan confirmed.

Photos circulating on social media over the weekend showed McCaffrey boarding a plane to Germany.

“I'm not sure which doctor it is,” Shanahan said. “He's going to see a specialist in the next few days for the Achilles tendon and hopefully that will help.”

In other injury news, Shanahan said Brock Purdy, a shiny spot within the loss, has back pain and resides each day. He underwent an MRI, which was unremarkable, Shanahan said.

The excellent news is that Shanahan said Kittle may return to practice this week and have the option to play against the New England Patriots on Sunday at Levi's Stadium.

20-point threshold

It was a rare loss for the 49ers, as they scored 24 points. Since 2021, once they began a streak of three consecutive NFC Championship games, the 49ers have a 38-8 record in games where they rating 20 or more points, including the playoffs. Conversely, the 49ers have a 4-13 record once they rating fewer than 20 points – essentially the most recent loss being their 23-17 loss to Minnesota in Week 2.

JJ AND JR

Jennings had 11 catches for 175 yards and three touchdowns, becoming only the second player in franchise history to catch 10 or more passes, 175 or more yards and three touchdowns in a game. Hall of Famer Jerry Rice did it twice: in 1990, he caught 13 passes for 225 yards and five touchdowns from Joe Montana against Atlanta and in 1995, he caught 14 passes for 289 yards and three touchdowns from Steve Young against Minnesota.

Terrell Owens narrowly missed the win against Atlanta in 2001 with 183 yards of gain and three touchdowns while catching nine passes.

QUICK JUDGMENT

69: Trent Williams played all but two of the 71 offensive snaps. As bad because the day was for the 49ers, Williams no less than got up, left the sector on his own power and was back in the sport after an IV to treat cramps. The remainder of the starting O-line played all 71.

61: Tight end Eric Saubert had a career-high variety of snaps as Kittle's backup. His previous high was 49 for Denver in 2021. Jake Tonges had 15 snaps and Brayden Willis had 4.

58: Nick Bosa played every defensive snap for the second time in his profession. Bosa also played all 63 snaps on Oct. 29 of last 12 months, in a 31-17 loss to Cincinnati at Levi's Stadium. He was listed as questionable as a consequence of a rib injury.

53: After missing 12 games following surgery for a torn ACL, Talanoa Hufanga missed just five snaps in his 2024 debut.

30: Second-year wide receiver Ronnie Bell had his third-most snaps: 31 in Week 3 against the New York Giants last season and 38 (Aiyuk was injured) in the ultimate game of the regular season against the Rams when the 49ers rested some starters. He had 10 more snaps than veteran Chris Conley.

6: Dee Winters, who was imagined to step in for De'Vondre Campbell in passing situations, had to go away the sector within the second quarter as a consequence of an ankle injury and didn’t return.

5: Corner Renardo Green and safety Malik Mustapha each played five defensive snaps in a game wherein the 49ers were repeatedly beaten deep. Green.

0: George Odum, who began the primary two games as a security alongside Ji'Ayir Brown, didn’t play on defense and returned to his role on special teams with 21 snaps.

Originally published: September 23, 2024 at 16:05

Christian McCaffrey's status will proceed to be assessed on a spontaneous basis, together with his availability being judged more on the premise of his well-being and with a view to the long haul somewhat than a particular Sunday.

McCaffrey was surprisingly ruled out of Monday night's 32-19 win over the New York Jets at Levi's Stadium resulting from a calf/Achilles tendon injury.

And this problem has been happening for a while, which implies there could possibly be lots more Jordan Mason within the 49ers' immediate future with a road game against the Minnesota Vikings coming up in Week 2.

Mason gained 147 yards on 28 attempts, each profession highs, and scored a touchdown against the Jets.

McCaffrey suffered a calf strain in Week 17 against Washington last season after which sat out the ultimate game of the regular season against the Los Angeles Rams. He was on the injured list with a calf injury within the divisional playoff win over Green Bay but made it through the playoffs.

But McCaffrey, who has long set the pace in practice, largely stayed out of the fray while a two-year contract extension was negotiated. At the club's mandatory minicamp in July, McCaffrey told NFL Network he was effective and would play if it was an actual game.

Except when the actual games start, McCaffrey doesn't play. Why? According to educate Kyle Shanahan, since it's not a playoff game.

“If it was a playoff game, he made it very clear to me that he thought he could go,” Shanahan said Tuesday in a conference call with local reporters. “But when you hear something like that and it's not a playoff game and it's Week 1 — especially when you're dealing with lower extremities like that — it was a tough decision. But hearing all the words and stuff made it easier in the long run.”

In any case, McCaffrey's condition might be closely monitored to maintain him healthy throughout the season and never maintain the danger of further injury in a sensitive area that’s liable to setbacks and re-injury.

“It's not just a calf, it's Achilles tendonitis and Achilles tendinitis and things like that come and go,” Shanahan said. “When it starts causing problems, you have to be very careful.”

It was a calf/Achilles problem in 2019 that led to the Warriors' Kevin Durant eventually tearing his Achilles tendon within the NBA Finals. Linebacker Dre Greenlaw sat out Week 18 against the Rams last season with Achilles tendinitis and eventually tore his Achilles tendon while entering the sector within the Super Bowl.

Even though McCaffrey is listed as day-to-day, you’ll be able to safely assume the 49ers won't add last yr's NFL Offensive Player of the Year back to the lineup until they deem the danger to be minimal.

Shanahan said the one other injuries from the Jets game were a calf injury to protect Aaron Banks and an ankle injury to wide receiver Jauan Jennings. Both injuries, Shanahan said, are being treated on a day-to-day basis.

A choice might be made later this week as as to if defensive end Yetur Gross-Matos (knee), safety Talanoa Hufanga (knee) and linebacker Dee Winters (ankle) might be available for the sport against Minnesota, Shanahan said.

Williams holds on

Left tackle Trent Williams played 70 of 72 snaps after missing all of coaching camp and participating in just 4 practices before games. Shanahan was curious to see how Williams would do, but wasn't surprised by the top result.

“You never know how someone is going to come back when you haven't seen them for so long,” Shanahan said. “But watching him practice on Monday and seeing how he was on Wednesday was a good sign that he was going to be OK.”

Williams said afterward he was in “uncharted territory” and needed two infusions to get through it, but he didn't expect any problems until Week 2 in Minnesota.

Originally published: September 10, 2024 at 11:50 am

SANTA CLARA – The aftermath of the Super Bowl for the 49ers, an emotionally draining offseason stuffed with contract issues and a horrific life-threatening incident gave method to regular-season practice Tuesday morning.

After a four-day break, the players reconvened for a one-hour session, and it was a who's who of stars in attendance.

Here is a standing report on the important thing people of interest:

Running back Christian McCaffrey: His wrists were bandaged, his white cleats looked fresh and he gave a pre-practice handshake as he dressed for his first workout since suffering a calf strain on Aug. 4. McCaffrey had been figuring out on the side in recent weeks to defend his NFL rushing title. Despite suffering a calf strain within the second-to-last game of last 12 months's regular season at Washington, he didn’t appear to be affected through the playoffs.

Left Tackle Trent Williams: Williams donned his No. 71 jersey again for his fifteenth NFL season, showed up for practice, tied his cleats with the assistance of an equipment cart after which exchanged bear hugs with running backs coach Bobby Turner and strength coach Dustin Perry. His private jet arrived from Houston at 3:34 a.m. while his agent, Vincent Taylor, finalized the contract details that may end his strike that has cost him greater than $4 million in fines.

Wide Receiver Brandon Aiyuk: A very dynamic move? That's what it looked like within the 5-minute media window as he zigzagged through his teammates within the stretch line. The agreement on a normal contract extension (4 years, $120 million) last Thursday brought the 49ers' best receiver back to the team since 2023.

Wide Receiver Ricky Pearsall: Just three days after being shot within the chest by an attempted robbery in Union Square, Pearsall is on the 49ers facility, and coach Kyle Shanahan briefly chatted with him outside the load room as practice began. The rookie just isn’t practicing and has been suspended for at the very least the primary 4 games. He was also within the 49ers weight room on Monday, talking with team members concerning the incident, radio analyst Tim Ryan said on KNBR 680-AM. Pearsall was released from San Francisco General Hospital a day after the incident, and the 49ers placed him on the reserve/non-football injured list on Monday.

Wide Receiver Jauan Jennings: He has returned to training after his preseason and training time were cut short two weeks ago on account of an oblique injury.

Running back Isaac Guerendo: The rookie speedster continues to work part-time. He was held out of shape after suffering a groin strain in his preseason debut, wherein he accomplished a 93-yard kick return. A hamstring injury in the primary practice of camp kept him out of shape for 4 weeks.

Defensive end Yetur Gross-Matos: He has not been seen at practice since injuring his right knee within the last preseason game on August 23, putting his regular-season debut for the 49ers in query.

Cornerback Isaac Yiadom: He could be the 49ers' third cornerback practicing, a positive sign after his return last week from an ankle injury that sidelined him for nearly two weeks.

Left Guard Aaron Banks: He is recovering from surgery on the little finger of his left hand three weeks ago and has been unable to coach since.

* * *

NEW NUMBERS

0: Cornerback Renardo Green

6: Security Malik Mustapha

19: Wide receiver Jacob Cowing

31: Running back Isaac Guerendo

81: Wide receiver Trent Taylor (practice squad)

84: Wide receiver Terrace Marshall (practice squad)

* * *

NOTES

On the 49ers roster, rookie Jacob Cowing is listed because the 49ers' punt returner with Ronnie Bell as his backup. The 49ers have Jordan Mason, Isaac Guerendo and Bell on the roster as kick returners.

Linebacker DaShaun White was signed to the practice squad; wide receiver Tay Martin was released.

Originally published: September 3, 2024 at 11:13 am