San Francisco 49ers vs Buffalo Bills Match Player Stats (Dec 1, 2024)
Josh Allen made NFL history in a snowstorm. Buffalo crushed San Francisco 35-10 at Highmark Stadium, clinching their fifth straight AFC East title. Allen became the first quarterback ever to throw a touchdown, run for a touchdown, and catch a touchdown in the same game. He completed 13 of 17 passes for 148 yards and two scores. James Cook exploded for 107 yards with a 65-yard touchdown run. Christian McCaffrey’s night ended after seven carries for 53 yards when his knee gave out in the second quarter. Brock Purdy managed just 94 passing yards in his return from a shoulder injury.
Three fumbles killed San Francisco. Buffalo recovered all three and converted them into 14 points. The 49ers dropped to 5-7, losing their third straight game. The Bills improved to 10-2 with their seventh consecutive win.
Table of Contents
Buffalo’s Offensive Explosion
Passing Statistics
| Player | Completions | Attempts | Yards | TDs | INTS | Rating | Sacks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Josh Allen | 13 | 17 | 148 | 2 | 0 | 141.3 | 0 |
| Mitchell Trubisky | 1 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 83.3 | 0 |
| Team Total | 14 | 18 | 152 | 2 | 0 | 138.9 | 0 |
Allen completed 76.5% in heavy snow. Zero sacks. Zero interceptions. He’s built for this weather.
Rushing Production
| Player | Carries | Yards | Average | TDs | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| James Cook | 14 | 107 | 7.6 | 1 | 65 |
| Ray Davis | 11 | 63 | 5.7 | 1 | 13 |
| Ty Johnson | 5 | 28 | 5.6 | 0 | 8 |
| Josh Allen | 3 | 18 | 6.0 | 1 | 8 |
| Curtis Samuel | 1 | 7 | 7.0 | 0 | 7 |
| Mitchell Trubisky | 4 | -3 | -0.8 | 0 | 0 |
| Team Total | 38 | 220 | 5.8 | 3 | 65 |
Jake Moody missed a 45-yard field goal. First play after the miss, Cook took a handoff right. One hole. One cut. Gone. 65 yards untouched for the touchdown. Buffalo led 14-3 and San Francisco never threatened again.
The Bills ran 38 times for 220 yards, held the ball seven minutes longer than San Francisco. Cook averaged 7.6 yards per carry. Davis rushed for 63 yards and a touchdown. Allen picked up 18 yards and a score on three carries.
Pass Catchers
| Player | Receptions | Targets | Yards | Average | TDS | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dawson Knox | 2 | 2 | 56 | 28.0 | 0 | 39 |
| Khalil Shakir | 4 | 7 | 30 | 7.5 | 0 | 18 |
| Quintin Morris | 1 | 1 | 14 | 14.0 | 0 | 14 |
| James Cook | 1 | 1 | 13 | 13.0 | 0 | 13 |
| Amari Cooper | 3 | 3 | 12 | 4.0 | 0 | 7 |
| Ty Johnson | 1 | 1 | 9 | 9.0 | 0 | 9 |
| Mack Hollins | 1 | 1 | 7 | 7.0 | 1 | 7 |
| Josh Allen | 1 | 0 | 7 | 7.0 | 1 | 7 |
| Ray Davis | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4.0 | 0 | 4 |
Allen’s receiving touchdown came on a designed lateral play. He threw short to Cooper at the seven-yard line. Two defenders wrapped Cooper up. Cooper somehow flipped the ball back to Allen while getting buried. Allen sprinted to the left corner and dove past the pylon. Buffalo led 28-3.
“It’s got to be up there,” Allen said after the game. “I wish he got credited for something there, an assist or a passing touchdown. I just kind of chased the ball to be there and we made eye contact. It was dope.”
Cooper explained his decision: “I was wondering what he was doing over there. I figured he was over there because he wanted the ball, so I gave it to him.”
Knox’s 39-yard catch gave Buffalo field position before halftime. The Bills marched 97 yards in nine plays, capped by Allen’s seven-yard touchdown pass to Hollins with 41 seconds left. That drive buried San Francisco.
San Francisco’s Offensive Struggles
Passing Numbers
| Player | Completions | Attempts | Yards | TDs | INTS | Rating | Sacks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brock Purdy | 11 | 18 | 94 | 0 | 0 | 74.8 | 2 |
| Team Total | 11 | 18 | 94 | 0 | 0 | 74.8 | 2 |
Purdy returned from a shoulder injury but threw for just 94 yards. Buffalo’s coverage locked down San Francisco’s receivers all night. Zero touchdowns through the air. Two sacks. He averaged 5.2 yards per attempt in conditions that demanded quick throws.
Ground Game
| Player | Carries | Yards | Average | TDs | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jordan Mason | 13 | 78 | 6.0 | 0 | 28 |
| Christian McCaffrey | 7 | 53 | 7.6 | 0 | 19 |
| Isaac Guerendo | 4 | 19 | 4.8 | 1 | 15 |
| Brock Purdy | 2 | 4 | 2.0 | 0 | 3 |
| Kyle Juszczyk | 1 | -1 | -1.0 | 0 | -1 |
| Team Total | 27 | 153 | 5.7 | 1 | 28 |
McCaffrey rushed for 53 yards on seven carries before his season likely ended. He took an 18-yard carry up the middle in the second quarter. Stayed in for one more play. Then stepped awkwardly on the snow-covered field and went down immediately. His left knee gave out. After being examined on the sideline, he limped to the locker room and didn’t return.
Kyle Shanahan confirmed the worst after the game: “It’s a potential season-ending injury to the posterior cruciate ligament in his knee.”
George Kittle captured the mood: “It feels dark and gloomy and absolutely depressing, honestly I’ll feel that probably in a couple hours. The only way to make this feel better is to go take advantage of next week and try to get a win.”
Mason stepped in and had 78 yards but didn’t reach the end zone. The 49ers moved the ball between the 20s but kept stalling in scoring position. Guerendo scored their only rushing touchdown on a 15-yard run in the third quarter.
Receivers
| Player | Receptions | Targets | Yards | Average | TDS | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jauan Jennings | 3 | 5 | 56 | 18.7 | 0 | 26 |
| Deebo Samuel | 4 | 5 | 20 | 5.0 | 0 | 7 |
| Christian McCaffrey | 2 | 3 | 14 | 7.0 | 0 | 12 |
| George Kittle | 1 | 2 | 7 | 7.0 | 0 | 7 |
| Isaac Guerendo | 1 | 1 | -3 | -3.0 | 0 | -3 |
| Ricky Pearsall | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
Jennings led all 49ers receivers with 56 yards on three catches. Kittle, one of the league’s best tight ends, managed one catch for seven yards. Samuel caught four passes for just 20 yards. Buffalo’s defense blanketed San Francisco’s top weapons and forced Purdy to beat them. He didn’t threaten.
Defensive Numbers
Buffalo’s Defense
| Player | Total Tackles | Solo | Sacks | TFL | Pass Deflections |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Terrel Bernard | 9 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Taron Johnson | 6 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Taylor Rapp | 6 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Damar Hamlin | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rasul Douglas | 5 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Matt Milano | 5 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Greg Rousseau | 4 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| DaQuan Jones | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
The defense forced three fumbles and got production from everywhere. Bernard’s nine tackles topped the team. Rousseau wrecked plays all night with the only sack, three tackles for loss, and a fumble recovery that gave Buffalo field position for a score.
Milano returned from a 14-month absence after breaking his leg in October 2023. He played 77% of defensive snaps and had five tackles. Zero rust.
The Three Fumble Recoveries
- Greg Rousseau (Q4, recovered Purdy’s fumbled snap at SF 25)
- Christian Benford (Q3, recovered Juszczyk’s fumble at BUF 5, returned 43 yards)
- Jalen Virgil (Q4, recovered Samuel’s fumble on kickoff at SF 31)
Rapp made two touchdown-saving plays. His strip of Juszczyk at the goal line saved a potential 14-point swing. Earlier, he made a shoestring tackle on McCaffrey that prevented a long touchdown.
San Francisco’s Defense
| Player | Total Tackles | Solo | Sacks | TFL | Pass Deflections |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ji’Ayir Brown | 8 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Renardo Green | 6 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| De’Vondre Campbell | 5 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Charvarius Ward | 5 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Malik Mustapha | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Fred Warner | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dee Winters | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Nick McCloud | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Yetur Gross-Matos | 4 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Zero sacks. Three tackles for loss. That’s it against a Bills offense that ran 38 times. San Francisco’s defense got embarrassed. Not a single pressure on the quarterback all night. The 49ers had no answer for Buffalo’s ground game and didn’t pressure Allen. Warner had four tackles after dealing with cramps during the game.
Special Teams Battle
Kicking Comparison
| Team | Kicker | FG Made/Att | FG% | Long | XP Made/Att | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 49ers | Jake Moody | 1/3 | 33.3% | 33 | 1/1 | 4 |
| Bills | Tyler Bass | 0/1 | 0.0% | 0 | 5/5 | 5 |
Moody missed two field goals. Both came in the first half when San Francisco still had a chance. The 45-yarder sailed wide. The 55-yarder at halftime came up short. Six points left on the field.
Punting
| Team | Punter | Punts | Yards | Average | Inside 20 | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 49ers | Pat O’Donnell | 3 | 124 | 41.3 | 1 | 46 |
| Bills | Sam Martin | 3 | 140 | 46.7 | 1 | 54 |
Martin averaged five more yards per punt to win field position.
Returns
Kick Returns
| Player | Team | Returns | Yards | Average | Long | TDS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deebo Samuel | SF | 6 | 208 | 34.7 | 60 | 0 |
| Ray Davis | BUF | 2 | 43 | 21.5 | 22 | 0 |
Samuel averaged 34.7 yards per return. His 60-yard return to start the second half gave San Francisco field position at Buffalo’s 37. That drive produced the 49ers’ only touchdown. Samuel’s 208 return yards were the only positive in a brutal night.
Punt Returns
| Player | Team | Returns | Yards | Average | Long | TDS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jacob Cowing | SF | 2 | 25 | 12.5 | 13 | 0 |
| Brandon Codrington | BUF | 2 | 18 | 9.0 | 10 | 0 |
Team Statistics Comparison
| Category | San Francisco | Buffalo |
|---|---|---|
| First Downs | 15 | 20 |
| Total Yards | 239 | 372 |
| Yards Per Play | 5.1 | 6.6 |
| Passing Yards | 86 | 152 |
| Rushing Yards | 153 | 220 |
| Turnovers | 3 | 0 |
| Third Down | 3/10 (30%) | 6/12 (50%) |
| Fourth Down | 1/1 (100%) | 1/1 (100%) |
| Red Zone | 1/3 (33%) | 4/4 (100%) |
| Time of Possession | 26:33 | 33:27 |
| Penalties | 2-10 | 5-35 |
Red zone perfection versus red zone failure. Buffalo scored touchdowns on all four trips inside the 20. San Francisco got one touchdown and one field goal from three chances. The 49ers also fumbled at the goal line on their third trip. That’s the game right there.
Josh Allen Makes NFL History
Allen became the first quarterback ever to record a passing touchdown, rushing touchdown, and receiving touchdown in the same game. Only six other players, all non-quarterbacks, had accomplished this feat in the Super Bowl era.
Allen’s Complete Performance
- Passing: 13/17, 148 yards, 2 TDs, 0 INTs
- Rushing: 3 carries, 18 yards, 1 TD
- Receiving: 1 catch, 7 yards, 1 TD
The receiving touchdown happened at the goal line in the third quarter. Allen threw short to Cooper. Two defenders grabbed Cooper. He somehow lateraled it back while going down. Allen caught it and dove for the pylon. Buffalo led 28-3.
Allen’s 247 total career touchdowns broke Jim Kelly’s franchise record of 244, according to Pro Football Reference. That’s 186 passing, 59 rushing, and 2 receiving. He also became the fourth player ever to complete a touchdown pass to himself.
“It’s a good feeling,” Allen said about clinching the division. “This one feels a little bit different this early in the season. It’s going to be fun, I mean, to go out there and play free and play relaxed and play loose. I think that could be a dangerous team.”
The Bills became the first team to clinch a division with five games remaining since the 2009 Indianapolis Colts. Buffalo is 10-2 for the first time since 1991, when they reached Super Bowl XXVI.
Three Turnovers Buried San Francisco
Buffalo forced three fumbles. Recovered all three. Converted them into 14 points.
The Goal Line Fumble That Ended It
San Francisco trailed 21-3 early in the third quarter. Deebo Samuel’s 60-yard kickoff return set them up at Buffalo’s 37. Five plays later, they had first and goal at the four.
Juszczyk took the handoff. Hole opened. Clear path to the end zone. Six inches away. Six inches from making it 21-10. Then Rapp’s fist crashed into the ball at the goal line.
Fumble.
Benford grabbed it. Took off. 43 yards the other way.
The 49ers never recovered. Instead of trailing by 11 with momentum, they still trailed by 18. Game over.
Purdy’s Fumbled Snap
Fourth quarter. San Francisco at their own 28. Purdy dropped back to pass. The ball slipped from his hand. Fumbled snap. Rousseau fell on it at the 25.
Four plays later, Allen scrambled eight yards for a touchdown. Buffalo led 35-3.
Samuel’s Kickoff Fumble
The ensuing kickoff. Samuel took a hit from rookie Cole Bishop. Fumbled. Jalen Virgil recovered at San Francisco’s 31.
Buffalo failed to capitalize with points but burned more clock. Any remaining hope died there.
Third Down and Red Zone Execution
Buffalo converted 6 of 12 third downs (50%). San Francisco went 3 for 10 (30%).
Allen saved drives with his legs. He picked up two third downs by scrambling for first downs when receivers were covered. His 18-yard completion to Shakir on third and two gave Buffalo first and goal at the seven, setting up his receiving touchdown.
San Francisco failed to convert when it mattered. Purdy’s incompletion on third and seven at Buffalo’s 15 forced Moody’s first field goal attempt. His sack on third and nine at Buffalo’s 36 killed another drive.
Red Zone Perfection Versus Failure
Buffalo: 4 touchdowns on 4 red zone trips (100%) San Francisco: 1 touchdown, 1 field goal on 3 trips (33%)
The 49ers also fumbled at the goal line on their third red zone trip. Every time Buffalo got inside the 20, they scored six. Every time San Francisco got close, they fumbled, missed a kick, or got sacked.
What This Means
Buffalo Bills (10-2)
Fifth consecutive AFC East title. Seven-game winning streak. Six straight games scoring 30 or more points. Sean McDermott is now 8-0 coming off bye weeks in his career.
The Bills chase Kansas City (11-1) for the AFC’s top seed and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. With the division locked up, Buffalo can focus entirely on catching the Chiefs.
San Francisco 49ers (5-7)
Third straight loss. Lost their All-Pro running back to a potentially season-ending injury. Missing five starters. Playoff hopes nearly gone.
Kyle Shanahan addressed the collapse: “I’m real disappointed. We’ve got a lot more pride than this. We definitely know that we have some people out and stuff, but we can play a lot better than that. Having three turnovers both of these weeks and getting none, I think that’s 6-0 in two weeks. When you do that and you don’t stop the run like we have in these last two weeks, I usually can guess the outcome.”
Brock Purdy tried to stay positive: “We’ve got to get back to coming out to games and being the enforcers. To have two games like this back-to-back late in the season, it sucks. But for us, it’s got to be next game up, and we can’t be down in the dumps because we still have an opportunity in front of us.”
That opportunity is slim. At 5-7 in a competitive NFC, the 49ers need to win out and get help from multiple teams. Without McCaffrey, that’s nearly impossible.
Next Week
Buffalo travels to Los Angeles to face the Rams on Sunday, December 8 at 4:25 PM ET. The Bills enter as favorites to extend their winning streak to eight games.
San Francisco hosts Chicago on Sunday, December 8 at 1:25 PM PT. Any loss likely eliminates the 49ers from playoff contention. The Bears’ struggling offense gives San Francisco a chance, but the team must protect the pigskin and finish drives.
The Bottom Line
Buffalo controlled this game from start to finish. They ran for 220 yards. Protected the ball. Converted third downs. Scored every time they got inside the 20. Allen made history. Milano showed zero rust after a 14-month absence.
San Francisco fumbled three times. Missed two field goals. Lost their best player. Had no answer for Buffalo’s rushing attack. Didn’t pressure Allen. Kept stalling near the end zone.
The Bills proved they’re dangerous contenders with their ability to run the ball, protect their quarterback, and force turnovers in any conditions. As they chase Kansas City for the AFC’s top seed, this dominant performance shows they’re built for a deep playoff run. For more on Buffalo’s championship pursuit, check out the Buffalo Bills vs Kansas City Chiefs match player stats.
The 49ers’ season is collapsing. The team that reached the Super Bowl ten months earlier now fights just to stay relevant. Without McCaffrey, and with a defense that can’t generate pressure or stop the run, San Francisco faces an uphill battle to reach .500.
Game statistics and analysis from this matchup are available through Pro Football Reference and ESPN. Team perspectives can be found in the Buffalo Bills official game recap and San Francisco 49ers post-game coverage.
