ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — These are the cold, hard facts.

The 49ers received another snowball upside their heads — figuratively and, perhaps, literally — when the Buffalo Bills hit them with a 35-10 beatdown at snowy Highmark Stadium.

Their second blowout loss in a row played out in front of a national television audience on Sunday night.

It was the second blowout loss the 49ers absorbed in back-to-back trips to Green Bay and Buffalo — the two coldest-weather locales in the NFL. A week ago, the 49ers lost to the Packers, 38-10.

The 49ers lost back-to-back games by 25 points or more for only the fourth time in franchise history and the first time since 2015 when the Jim Tomsula-coached team was blasted by Pittsburgh (43-18) and Arizona (47-7) in Weeks 2 and 3.

Here is the report card from their Week 13 loss to the Bills:

Rushing offense

The 49ers felt their best chance of winning this game was to run the ball down the throats of a Bills defense that is susceptible on the ground.

San Francisco largely succeeded in that area. Christian McCaffrey gained 53 yards on seven carries before leaving with a potentially season-ending injury to the posterior cruciate ligament in his right knee.

Jordan Mason led the 49ers with 78 yards on 13 carries. Isaac Guerendo added 19 yards and a touchdown on four attempts.

Isaac Guerendo gets the 49ers in the end zone 🙌 pic.twitter.com/ZGSHRE6U5G

— 49ers on NBCS (@NBCS49ers) December 2, 2024

On the negative side, fullback Kyle Juszczyk fumbled at the goal line in the third quarter to prevent the 49ers from closing the gap to a two-score game.

Grade: C-plus

Passing offense

First, the 49ers’ passing game gets credit for not committing any turnovers.

Brock Purdy committed one giveaway when the ball slipped out of his hand as he attempted to throw a pass on the first play of the fourth quarter.

Jauan Jennings had 56 yards receiving on three catches.

Fourth and Jauan 😤 pic.twitter.com/6htpbNFywn

— 49ers on NBCS (@NBCS49ers) December 2, 2024

Tight end George Kittle caught a 7-yard pass from Purdy on the 49ers’ first offensive play of the game. He did not have another reception the entire game.

Purdy completed 11 of 18 passes for 94 yards with no touchdowns and no interceptions.

Grade: D

Rushing defense

The game turned in the second quarter when the 49ers’ run defense was gashed for James Cook’s 65-yard touchdown run. On that play, linebacker Jalen Graham and safety Ji’Ayir Brown had their chances to stop Cook near the line of scrimmage.

Cooks had 100 yards rushing on nine carries in the first half.

Quick 65-yard run to celly with a snow angel.

📺: @SNFonNBC pic.twitter.com/N0aAWEEHjQ

— Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) December 2, 2024

The Bills finished the game with 220 rushing yards on 38 carries for a gaudy 5.8-yard average.

Grade: F

Passing defense

The Bills did not throw too much but they succeeded whenever Josh Allen dropped back to throw.

Allen’s big arm helped him cut through the wind against the 49ers’ short-handed defense.

Allen completed 13 of 17 pass attempts for 148 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions. He had a passer rating of 141.3. Allen was even credited with a touchdown pass to himself when Amari Cooper lateraled the ball back to him after a short third-quarter pass.

THIS IS THE MOST RIDICULOUS THING WE HAVE EVER SEEN.

📺: @SNFonNBC pic.twitter.com/LzaOt3MDLj

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— Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) December 2, 2024

The 49ers got only one hit on Allen, and that came from undrafted rookie Evan Anderson in his first start.

Grade: F

Special teams

It’s difficult to place too much blame on kicker Jake Moody, considering the weather conditions.

But he did miss field goals of 45 and 55 yards in the first half.

Deebo Samuel tried to give the 49ers a spark to open the second half with a 60-yard kickoff return. But he also lost a fumble on a kickoff return early in the fourth quarter.

Grade: D

Coaching

The 49ers had the right idea to keep the ball on the ground. But one highly debatable decision that killed the 49ers came when coach Kyle Shanahan put the ball in the hands of a player who had just three carries coming into the game.

Fullback Kyle Juszczyk fumbled on a first-and-goal play from the Buffalo 4-yard line early in the third quarter when Taylor Rapp punched the ball loose.

Goal line stand. 😤

📺: @SNFonNBC pic.twitter.com/hJ0qQi4W51

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— Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) December 2, 2024

Granted, Mason was out of the game. But rookie running back Isaac Guerendo, who entered the game with 38 carries this season, should have gotten the call over Juszczyk.

But, clearly, that play call did not cost the 49ers the game. Generally, the 49ers had the right idea from a tactical standpoint. They just did not have the players to compete with the Bills.

Grade: C-minus

Overall

Did you expect anything else?

The 49ers have not been good this season, period. And they were short-handed and going up against one of the best NFL teams.

A botched play from the 49ers’ run defense while Fred Warner was out of the game and a fumble at the goal line were the plays that stood out and prevented them from keeping it close.

The loss drops the 49ers (5-7) another game behind the Seattle Seahawks (7-5) in the NFC West.

Grade: F

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The Buffalo Bills and the San Francisco 49ers are set to face off tonight in blustery conditions. With temperatures in the upper-20s expected, and wind gusts of up to fifteen miles per hour looking to drop the wind chill to around 20 degrees, it certainly won’t be a comfortable night. Is it the coldest game we’ve seen at Highmark Stadium? No, not even close. However, it’s the first true “winter” game for the 2024 season and this year’s Bills group.

San Francisco is dealing with a lot on the injury front, as star left tackle Trent Williams and star pass rusher Joey Bosa are both out. The 49ers are also missing starting corner Deommodore Lenoir, offensive lineman Aaron Banks, and defensive lineman Jordan Elliott. Quarterback Brock Purdy missed last week’s game with an injured shoulder, but he’s playing tonight.

For the Bills, the team is inching closer to full health. Linebacker Matt Milano is back, as is right tackle Spencer Brown. Tight end Dalton Kincaid is set to miss his second straight game thanks to a knee injury, and Keon Coleman will miss his third straight game thanks to a wrist injury. Overall, however, Buffalo is trending in the right direction as it relates to their health.

How will quarterback Josh Allen look in his first game since his engagement to singer/actress Hailee Steinfeld? Can the Bills lock up their franchise-record fifth straight AFC East Division title tonight? Will the Bills rely on their running game, or will they let Allen sling it through the elements? We’re a few hours away from finding out the result, but we’ll have to trust the process in the meantime.

Your first-half thread is here, friends. Please remember to be civil to each other. Remember to toggle the comments to “oldest” for that classic game-thread feel. And, most importantly, remember to enjoy the game wherever it is you’ll be watching.

Go Bills!

The Buffalo Bills host the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024, at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, New York

How to watch: Fans can watch the game for free via a trial of DirecTV Stream or fuboTV. You can also watch via a subscription to Sling TV, which is half off the first month.

Here’s what you need to know:

What: NFL Sunday Night Football

Who: Buffalo Bills vs. San Francisco 49ers

When: Dec. 1, 2024 (12/1/24)

Where: Highmark Stadium (Orchard Park, New York)

Time: 8:20 p.m. ET (7:20 p.m. CT)

TV: NBC

Free live stream: DirecTV Stream, fuboTV

Here’s a preview via the Associated Press:

San Francisco (5-6) at Buffalo (9-2)

Sunday, 8:20 p.m. EST, NBC

BetMGM NFL odds: Bills by 7.

Series record: Bills lead 7-6.

Against the spread: 49ers 4-7, Bills 7-4.

Last meeting: Bills beat 49ers 34-24 on Dec. 7, 2020, at Glendale, Arizona.

Last week: Packers beat 49ers 38-10; Bills bye.

49ers offense: overall (4), rush (7), pass (4), scoring (13).

49ers defense: overall (6), rush (11), pass (6), scoring (20).

Bills offense: overall (13), rush (11), pass (13), scoring (3).

Bills defense: overall (15), rush (13), pass (14), scoring (7).

Turnover differential: 49ers even; Bills plus-14.

49ers player to watch

DE Leonard Floyd returns to Buffalo for the first time since leaving the Bills in free agency to sign with the 49ers in March. Floyd is playing his best ball of late with 3 1/2 sacks the past two games after having only three in his first nine games this season. Floyd had 10 1/2 sacks last season in his only year in Buffalo.

Bills player to watch

WR Amari Cooper. A left wrist injury and getting accustomed to the playbook has limited the 30-year-old to seven catches for 124 yards and a touchdown in three games since being acquired in a trade with Cleveland on Oct. 15. With a bye week to heal up and more than a month to build chemistry with Josh Allen, Cooper could finally be in a position to begin playing to his potential.

Key matchup

Niners’ RB Christian McCaffrey vs. Bills run defense. Buffalo bottled up the Chiefs in limiting their ground game to 78 yards in a major sign of improvement a month after allowing 271 to Derrick Henry and the Ravens. McCaffrey and the 49ers’ usually sturdy run game has yet to get on track, with last season’s offensive player of the year limited to 149 yards rushing and 132 receiving. He has yet to score a TD in three games this season.

Key injuries

San Francisco QB Brock Purdy is expected to play after missing one game with a sore right shoulder. … The Niners, however, ruled out five starters: DE Nick Bosa (hip, oblique), LT Trent Williams (ankle), LG Aaron Banks (concussion), DT Jordan Elliott (concussion) and CB Deommodore Lenoir (knee). … The Bills ruled out TE Dalton Kincaid, who will miss his second game with a knee injury. … Rookie WR Keon Coleman (right wrist) is listed as questionable and was still wearing a non-contact jersey in practice on Friday. … RT Spencer Brown (ankle) was cleared to return after missing one game. … The Bills have yet to decide whether to activate LB Matt Milano (torn left biceps) and rookie defensive tackle DeWayne Carter (left wrist) off IR.

Series notes

The Bills played the Niners in Arizona because of COVID-19 restrictions in California in 2020. It was Buffalo’s second visit to Glendale in three weeks after a 32-30 loss to the Cardinals. … The Bills beat San Francisco 45-16 in the Niners’ most recent visit to Orchard Park, New York, in 2016, and are 3-2 overall at home. … Buffalo has won the past two meetings with neither team having won three straight.

Stats and stuff

San Francisco has lost two straight and has a losing record this late in the season for the first time since going 6-10 in 2020. … This is the fourth time this season that the 49ers are playing a team coming off a bye. They are 1-2 in the previous three. … San Francisco had only 11 first downs last week, tied for the fewest in any game in eight seasons under Kyle Shanahan. … The Niners have scored only three offensive TDs from outside the red zone this season, tied for the second fewest in the NFL. … San Francisco ranks 10th worst in the NFL with 3.85 yards per carry in three games since McCaffrey returned after ranking fourth with 5.13 in the first eight weeks. … The 44 yards rushing last week for the 49ers were their third fewest under Shanahan. … TE George Kittle had his 509th catch last week, moving into third place in San Francisco history. … Kittle leads the NFL with eight TD catches in the red zone, which is tied with Vernon Davis (2013) for the most in a season for a Niners player since at least 2000. … The AFC East-leading Bills have won at least nine of their first 11 games for just the sixth time in team history, and first since 1992. Buffalo has been 10-2 or better just four times, the last in 1991. … The Bills have won six straight for the first time since a 7-0 run to close the 2022 season. … Buffalo has scored 30 or more points in five straight and a league-best eight times this season. The most recent time the Bills scored 30 or more in six straight outings happened in 2004. … After not throwing an interception in his first seven outings, QB Josh Allen has five in his past four. He’s 43-27 overall when committing a turnover. … Allen has rushed for five TDs this season, increasing his total to 58 to rank second on the team list behind only Hall of Famer Thurman Thomas (65). … With two TDs rushing in a 30-21 win over Kansas City two weeks ago, RB James Cook became Buffalo’s first player to rush for 10 scores since LeSean McCoy had 13 in 2016. … Buffalo’s defense has forced at least one takeaway in each outing this season.

Fantasy tip

The Bills defense/special teams might be a sneaky good play, and not only if Brandon Allen starts in place of Purdy. Special teams could play a factor with Buffalo’s Brandon Codrington ranking fourth in the NFL with 243 punt return yards, and the Niners ranking 32nd in allowing 16.4 yards per punt return and having already allowed a kickoff return for a TD.

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