The 49ers (2-12) host the Buffalo Bills (8-6) at Candlestick Park for a 1:15 PT kickoff on Christmas weekend.
Drew Bledsoe starts at quarterback for Buffalo. Shaud Williams runs the ball with Willis McGahee on the injury report. Lee Evans leads the receivers. Cody Pickett makes his first NFL start in place of the benched Ken Dorsey. Kevan Barlow returns at running back; Brandon Lloyd at receiver.
Cody Pickett makes his NFL debut as a starter Sunday afternoon at Candlestick. The 49ers' third-string quarterback, after Ken Dorsey's four-INT game and Tim Rattay's struggles, gets the start against the 8-6 Bills.
Kevan Barlow returns at running back. Brandon Lloyd the WR1. The Bills come in with Drew Bledsoe at quarterback and Shaud Williams filling in for the injured Willis McGahee.
Favored by Buffalo by 12 on the road. The kind of home game where the box score will be unkind.
Week 16 across the NFC sees the playoff field nearly set. The Eagles, Falcons, Cowboys, Vikings, Lions, Buccaneers, Saints, and Packers compete for division titles and wild-card spots. The 49ers (2-12) are eliminated. The Bills (8-6) are in the AFC wild-card mix. The Sunday game is the kind of week where the 49ers, with their third-string quarterback in his NFL debut, produce the kind of game the offseason coaching conversation will use as the year's final piece.
Through fourteen games the 49ers are 2-12 with a -145 point differential. Cody Pickett (the third-string quarterback) makes his NFL debut. Kevan Barlow returns. Brandon Lloyd averages 53 receiving yards a game. The defense allows 28.5 points per game. The Bills are 8-6 with Drew Bledsoe at quarterback. Shaud Williams fills in for the injured Willis McGahee. Lee Evans leads the team in receiving. Vegas opens Buffalo as 12-point road favorites; total 39.
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| New England Patriots | 12-2 | L1 |
| New York Jets | 10-4 | W1 |
| Buffalo Bills | 8-6 | W5 |
| Miami Dolphins | 3-11 | W1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 13-1 | W12 |
| Baltimore Ravens | 8-6 | L1 |
| Cincinnati Bengals | 6-8 | L2 |
| Cleveland Browns | 3-11 | L8 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Indianapolis Colts | 11-3 | W7 |
| Jacksonville Jaguars | 8-6 | W2 |
| Houston Texans | 6-8 | W1 |
| Tennessee Titans | 4-10 | L4 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| San Diego Chargers | 11-3 | W8 |
| Denver Broncos | 8-6 | L1 |
| Kansas City Chiefs | 6-8 | W3 |
| Oakland Raiders | 5-9 | W1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Seattle Seahawks | 7-7 | L1 |
| St. Louis Rams | 6-8 | L2 |
| Arizona Cardinals | 5-9 | -- |
| San Francisco 49ers | 2-12 | L1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia Eagles | 13-1 | W6 |
| Dallas Cowboys | 5-9 | L2 |
| New York Giants | 5-9 | L7 |
| Washington Redskins | 5-9 | W1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Green Bay Packers | 8-6 | L1 |
| Minnesota Vikings | 8-6 | W1 |
| Chicago Bears | 5-9 | L2 |
| Detroit Lions | 5-9 | L2 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Atlanta Falcons | 11-3 | W2 |
| Carolina Panthers | 6-8 | L1 |
| New Orleans Saints | 6-8 | W2 |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 5-9 | L2 |
Reveal each quarter as you watch, the next quarter stays hidden until you tap it.
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| No scoring this quarter. | ||
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Bills | Willis McGahee 3 yard rush ( Rian Lindell kick) | 7-0 |
| Bills | Rian Lindell 23 yard field goal | 10-0 |
| Bills | Lee Evans 8 yard pass from Drew Bledsoe ( Rian Lindell kick) | 17-0 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Bills | Rian Lindell 31 yard field goal | 20-0 |
| Bills | Willis McGahee 1 yard rush ( Rian Lindell kick) | 27-0 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Bills | Lee Evans 33 yard pass from Shane Matthews ( Rian Lindell kick) | 34-0 |
| Bills | Shaud Williams 27 yard rush ( Rian Lindell kick) | 41-0 |
| 49ers | Kevan Barlow 1 yard rush ( Todd Peterson kick) | 41-7 |
Drew Bledsoe threw for 172 yards and a touchdown and the Buffalo Bills crushed the 49ers 41-7 at Candlestick Park. Shaud Williams ran for 93 yards and a touchdown. Cody Pickett, in his NFL debut, threw two interceptions and 55 yards. Kevan Barlow ran for 72 with a touchdown. The 49ers' offense produced one touchdown. The 49ers fell to 2-13 in the home blowout.[1][2][3]
The Buffalo Bills crushed the 49ers 41-7 Sunday afternoon at Candlestick. Drew Bledsoe threw for 172 with a touchdown. Shaud Williams (filling in for the injured Willis McGahee) ran for 93 with a touchdown. The kind of home blowout where, with Cody Pickett's NFL debut producing the kind of opening-tape performance the year's QB carousel has cycled through, the year's identity tape hit one more low.
Pickett finished 4-of-10 for 55 with two interceptions. Kevan Barlow returned to the lineup and ran for 72 with a touchdown. Brandon Lloyd was held to two catches for 25. The 49ers' offense produced one touchdown. The defense surrendered 41 points.
2-13. The kind of home blowout where, with the fourth different starting quarterback of the year, the year's QB carousel produced one more discouraging tape. The New England Patriots on the road next Sunday for the season finale on January 2. The kind of December where the year's identity tape ends with the kind of evaluation game the offseason coaching search will use as its final piece. Dennis Erickson's tenure is functionally over.
Bills 41, 49ers 7. Margin: -34. Fifteen-game record: 2-13, -179 differential.
* Drew Bledsoe: 21-of-32 for 172, 1 TD, 0 INTs.
* Shaud Williams: 17 carries for 93, 1 TD.
* Lee Evans: receiving production.
* Cody Pickett: 4-of-10 for 55, 0 TDs, 2 INTs (NFL debut).
* Kevan Barlow: 15 carries for 72, 1 TD (return from injury).
* Brandon Lloyd: 2 catches for 25.
* 49ers 2-13; Bills 9-6.
A 41-7 home blowout by the Buffalo Bills at Candlestick. Cody Pickett makes his NFL debut. The 49ers fall to 2-13.
How it unfolded
Buffalo scored on its opening drive with a Bledsoe touchdown to make it 7-0. The Bills added a Shaud Williams touchdown to push the lead to 14-0. The 49ers managed a Kevan Barlow touchdown to make it 14-7. The Bills added two more touchdowns in the second quarter to make it 28-7 at halftime. The second half was two more Bills scoring drives to close it 41-7. The 49ers' offense managed no second-half points.
The turning point
The Bills' four first-half touchdowns. With Cody Pickett's NFL debut producing the kind of struggling opening tape the year's QB carousel has cycled through, Buffalo's complete-team execution turned the game into a blowout before the half.
By the numbers
Pickett 55 passing on 10 attempts with two INTs (NFL debut). Kevan Barlow 72 rushing on 15 carries with a TD. Brandon Lloyd 25 receiving on 2 catches. Bledsoe 172 on 32 attempts with a TD. Shaud Williams 93 rushing with a TD.
Personnel watch
Cody Pickett in his NFL debut, the kind of opening tape the year's QB carousel has cycled through. Kevan Barlow's return from injury. Brandon Lloyd quiet. The defense surrendering 41 points. The kind of home blowout where the year's competitive identity hit another low.
What it means
2-13 with the Patriots on the road next Sunday for the season finale on January 2. The kind of home blowout where Cody Pickett's NFL debut produced the year's third QB-rotation low (after the Pittsburgh blowout, the Tampa Bay blowout, and now Buffalo). The kind of December where Dennis Erickson's tenure is functionally over.
| Player | C/A | Yds | TD | Int | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | |||||
| Cody Pickett | 4/10 | 55 | 0 | 2 | |
| Ken Dorsey | 5/10 | 54 | 0 | 1 | |
| BUF | |||||
| Drew Bledsoe | 21/32 | 172 | 1 | 0 | |
| Shane Matthews | 2/3 | 44 | 1 | 0 | |
| Brian Moorman | 0/1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Player | Att | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Kevan Barlow | 15 | 72 | 1 | 13 |
| Terry Jackson | 2 | 11 | 0 | 8 |
| Maurice Hicks | 10 | 10 | 0 | 4 |
| Cody Pickett | 1 | 5 | 0 | 5 |
| BUF | ||||
| Willis McGahee | 15 | 102 | 2 | 20 |
| Shaud Williams | 17 | 93 | 1 | 27 |
| Lee Evans | 1 | 21 | 0 | 21 |
| Drew Bledsoe | 2 | 9 | 0 | 7 |
| Eric Moulds | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Player | Rec | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Brandon Lloyd | 2 | 25 | 0 | 14 |
| Cedrick Wilson | 1 | 18 | 0 | 18 |
| Eric Johnson | 2 | 17 | 0 | 9 |
| Rashaun Woods | 1 | 17 | 0 | 17 |
| Maurice Hicks | 1 | 15 | 0 | 15 |
| Curtis Conway | 1 | 12 | 0 | 12 |
| Terry Jackson | 1 | 5 | 0 | 5 |
| BUF | ||||
| Lee Evans | 8 | 92 | 2 | 33 |
| Eric Moulds | 8 | 81 | 0 | 16 |
| Willis McGahee | 1 | 14 | 0 | 14 |
| Jonathan Smith | 1 | 11 | 0 | 11 |
| Josh Reed | 2 | 11 | 0 | 9 |
| Rod Trafford | 1 | 5 | 0 | 5 |
| Daimon Shelton | 1 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Shaud Williams | 1 | -1 | 0 | -1 |
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Find the thread Start the threadCanonical title: [Rewatch Party] 2004 W16 - 49ers vs Buffalo Bills - Game Thread
