First, a snowfall in western New York buried the San Francisco 49ers.
The Buffalo Bills then buried them.
On NBC’s Sunday Night Football, the Bills defeated the 49ers 35-10 behind four touchdowns from quarterback Josh Allen, securing a postseason berth and winning Buffalo’s sixth straight AFC East championship.
Allen’s individual genius produced the Bills’ dominating team result. Allen ran for an eight-yard touchdown, threw for 148 yards and two touchdowns in the snow, and even scored as a receiver during a primetime game to strengthen his bid for the NFL’s Most Valuable Player title.
SNF blog: Reflect on the game’s progression
Amari Cooper was soon around by 49ers defenders after Allen completed a pass to her in the third quarter. Cooper then tossed a lateral to Allen, who ran past and dove for a score. In a single game, Allen became the first quarterback in NFL history to run, pass, and score touchdowns.
The Bills easily took control and improved to 10-2, including 6-0 at home, after falling down 3-0 and scoring the next 28 points.
When running back Christian McCaffrey went to the sideline in the first half and then to the locker room with what the team claimed was a knee injury, the 49ers’ (5-7) terrible season continued. The non-contact injury occurred less than a month after McCaffrey returned to action after missing two months due to Achilles tendinitis in both legs. Star linebacker Fred Warner later departed the game as well, adding insult to injury. Neither came back.
Around the league
- Twelve different games were decided by seven points or less, the most in a single week in NFL history. In three of those victories the Indianapolis Colts, Minnesota Vikings and Tampa Bay Buccaneers the game-winning play came in the final minute of the fourth quarter or overtime.
- The Pittsburgh Steelers outlasted the Cincinnati Bengals in a 44-38 win on the road. Quarterback Russell Wilson had a vintage performance, throwing for 414 yards and three touchdowns in the victory to propel his team to 9-3. Cincinnati, playoff contenders entering the season, are just 4-8.
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Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence was
carted off the field
late in the first half of his team s eventual 23-20 loss to the Houston Texans with a head injury. As he was rushing for a first down and in the process of sliding, Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair collided with him. Al-Shaair was ejected for the illegal hit. Lawrence later said on social media he was home and feeling better.
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