Tag: bills 49ers

Bills at 49ers: 5 things to watch for and a prediction

Things to watch for in Week 13 plus a prediction against the San Francisco 49ers for the BIlls.

The Buffalo Bills will travel back to the scene of the crime on Monday as the San Francisco 49ers await.

Last weekend, the 49ers (5-6) won on a last-second play, which actually will make this one a bit more fun, won’t it? The Bills (8-3) also continued their march toward their first AFC East title since 1995. Huge and obvious playoff implications for both sides here.

Plus, the primetime lights on Monday Night Football will be shining bright.

With that, here are five things to watch for and a prediction ahead of Week 13’s Bills-49ers meeting:

Bills at 49ers: Thursday injury reports

Buffalo Bills, San Francisco 49ers first injury reports ahead of Monday Night Football’s Week 13 meeting.

Here are the first full injury reports for the San Francisco 49ers and Buffalo Bills ahead of their Week 13 meeting at State Farm Stadium:

San Francisco 49ers (5-6)

Did not practice

  • WR Deebo Samuel (hamstring)
  • CB K’Waun Williams (ankle)

Limited

  • CB Emmanuel Moseley (hamstring)

Full practice

  • Brandon Aiyuk (not injury related)
  • DT DJ Jones (not injury related)
  • DL Jordan Willis (not injury related)

Notes:

Samuel had more of rest day, per 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan. … Aiyuk, Jones and Willis all just returned from the Reserve/COVID-19 list.

Buffalo Bills (8-3)

Did not practice

  • N/A

Limited

  • QB Jake Fromm (quarantine)
  • TE Reggie Gilliam (hamstring)
  • RB Taiwan Jones (hamstring)

Full practice

  • Jon Feliciano (foot)

Notes:

Feliciano did not miss any time with an injury last week, but is listed because he’s receiving treatment on it.

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49ers activate Brandon Aiyuk ahead of Bills meeting

The 49ers will have rookie wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk against the Buffalo Bills in Week 13.

The San Francisco 49ers will have the services of wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk on Monday Night Football in Week 13 against the Buffalo Bills.

The 49ers (5-6) activated the first-round rookie and two others, defensive linemen DJ Jones and Jordan Willis, off their Reserve/COVID-19 list. The team announced the move on Wednesday.

The trio missed the 49ers’ Week 12 win over the Los Angeles Rams.

Aiyuk has had an impressive rookie campaign for the 49ers, catching 35 passes for 446 receiving yards and three touchdowns while rushing for an additional 61 yards and two touchdowns on just five rushing attempts. He’s clearly a versatile weapon. Aiyuk pairs up well with fellow receiver Deebo Samuel, the Bills will be aware of both.

The Bills (8-3) will counter Samuel and Aiyuk with cornerbacks Tre’Davious White and Levi Wallace. In Week 12 against the Los Angeles Chargers, Wallace started and played the entire game as Buffalo’s No. 2 cornerback while veteran Josh Norman only appeared in one snap in that entire outing.

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Sean McDermott ‘encouraged’ by Matt Milano’s progress

Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott on linebacker Matt Milano.

Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott gave a positive update on linebacker Matt Milano on Wednesday.

The Bills (8-3) announced earlier in the day that Milano, along with linebacker Tyrel Dodson, were moved to the designated to return section of their injured reserve list. That doesn’t mean Milano is going to see game action in Week 13 against the San Francisco 49ers (5-6), but it’s a step in the right direction.

In his natural way, McDermott gave no insight into whether or not Milano would play in Buffalo’s next game. Still, good vibes.

“We’ve just got to take it one day at a time. Encouraged by the work he’s put in with our medical team. Today will be our first ‘look see’ as to where he’s at,” McDermott said. “We’ll see.”

Milano, who’s playing on the final year of his rookie contract, has rarely played in 2020 because of his current pectoral injury and a hamstring issue he dealt with earlier this season. Still, during his young career, Milano has been one of the most underrated players in the entire NFL so he should be a welcomed addition back in the lineup when he’s good to go.

But in recent days, both McDermott and defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier have made note of the improved play of Milano’s replacement, AJ Klein, as of late.

“The last several weeks of his production, of his performance, I know you guys are all writing about it, but that’s really what I was around in Carolina with AJ. He’s a good football player and he’s done a great job for us this season,” McDermott said.

Frazier made mention that earlier this season, the team had essentially asked Klein to try and be Milano. When that wasn’t working, they tweaked with his role and the results have showed.

“Early on I think there was a little bit of a feeling out process on his part and ours as well,” Frazier said via video conference. “As we’ve gotten more comfortable with him and he’s gotten more comfortable in our system, we’ve seen him play some much improved football and that’s a credit to AJ.”

Considering the Bills coaching staff seem more than fine with Klein’s recent play, the team might not rush Milano back in the lineup. They have 21 days from Wednesday to activate him fully off the team’s injured reserve list.

For more on Milano’s designation to return label, see the link below:

Bills designate LBs Matt Milano, Tyrel Dodson to return off injured reserve

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Bills now part of double-header Monday Night Football action

Buffalo Bills, San Francisco 49ers will play a triple-header Monday Night Football in Week 13.

Update: The NFL has since moved the Ravens-Cowboys in Week 13 to Tuesday at 8:05 p.m.

Previous coverage: 

The Buffalo Bills were scheduled to play on Monday Night Football before it was cool.

Alas, the Bills’ schedule was not introduced before COVID-19, though. Amid the pandemic offseason, the NFL released their schedules which included Buffalo (8-3) facing the San Francisco 49ers (5-6) in Week 13 on Monday Night Football this upcoming weekend.

But because of the NFL’s decision to not add an extra week, Week 18, for NFL teams needing to reschedule games due to COVID-19, the league has had to scramble a few times, like when the Bills faced the Tennessee Titans on Tuesday.

This time around, it’s affecting the Bills, but only slightly.

On Wednesday, the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens will finally have a game to play in Week 12. COVID-19 has made its way through the Ravens locker room, pushing the game all the way back to Wednesday. Because of that, the Steelers, originally scheduled to play Week 13 on Sunday, and the Ravens, slated to play on Thursday, will now both play on Monday to give both sides more time to prep.

That actually does nothing for the Bills. But, Bills Mafia will have an opportunity to tune into some extra football before Buffalo kicks off. Some warm-up football, if you will. Both games next Monday will be at 5 p.m., before Buffalo plays.

Here’s the full upcoming Monday slate via ESPN’s Adam Schefter:

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Bills designate LBs Matt Milano, Tyrel Dodson to return off injured reserve

The Buffalo Bills made injured reserve moves with Matt Milano, Tyrel Dodson on Wednesday.

The Buffalo Bills have moved linebackers Matt Milano and Tyrel Doson to the designated to return portion of their injured reserve list. The team announced the moves on Wednesday.

While a change in label, both players are still on Buffalo’s injured reserve list. What the new tag means is that both players are now practicing with the team. In what capacity we won’t know because players on the injured reserve list don’t appear on weekly injury reports. But in some capacity, they’re on the practice field.

Milano and Dodson can now spent 21 days in this window of practicing but not being officially brought back to the team’s active roster. Rookie receiver Isaiah Hodgins (shoulder) is also currently in this spot as well, having been placed in the same window last week.

Milano was placed on injured reserve on Nov. 7. Milano currently has a pectoral injury but also missed time earlier this season with a hamstring issue. Dodson has been on IR since Oct. 24 with a hamstring issue.

A team will typically announce a day before their upcoming game if any players will be brought up to their active roster from injured reserve. Buffalo head coach Sean McDermott never gives away any intel to upcoming opponents, so don’t expect to hear any hints about whether or not Milano or Dodson will play in Week 13.

The Bills’ (8-3) next contest is on Monday against the San Francisco 49ers (5-6).

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Could Bills be changing up their facemask look on Monday vs. 49ers?

Buffalo Bills could be wearing white facemasks vs. the San Francisco 49ers.

The Buffalo Bills might be bringing out a look on Monday Night Football against the San Francisco 49ers that we haven’t seen in over a year.

Bills wide receiver Isaiah McKenzie shared a video on his social media page via Instagram on Wednesday and in it, his helmet looks different. The Bills (8-3) receiver might have hinted that the 49ers (5-6) will see Buffalo’s white face masks replacing the usual grey helmet scheme we’re used to.

Here’s a screenshot of McKenzie’s potential nugget:

The last time the Bills did bust out the white facemasks on primetime it was Thanksgiving 2019. So in doing so, is Buffalo bringing out the good jujus? Maybe. Buffalo took down the Dallas Cowboys in that game, 25-16.

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8 storylines to watch for during Bills vs. 49ers

Buffalo Bills, San Francisco 49ers storylines for Week 13 on Monday Night Football.

It’s Wednesday so the Buffalo Bills are now turning their attention to their next opponent. After a post-bye week win against the Los Angeles Chargers, the Bills will head to another team’s home away from home where the San Francisco 49ers (5-6) await them.

With that, here are eight storylines to follow as the Bills are set to face the Niners in Week 13:

Sounds like the Bills won’t see George Kittle, Jimmy Garoppolo vs. 49ers

Buffalo Bills will not face San Francisco 49ers’ Jimmy Garoppolo, George Kittle in Week 13.

The Buffalo Bills face the San Francisco 49ers in Arizona on Monday Night Football next. Despite being under the bright lights, it doesn’t sound like the visiting will be seeing some of the “home” team’s best players, though.

49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said this week that it’s unlikely that quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo and star tight end George Kittle will suit up this week. Shanahan laid a timetable of a few games from now in terms of when it’s possible that the pair could return to the lineup.

“Yeah, I’m holding out hope for Jimmy for the last couple of weeks, same with Kittle,” the coach said per Niners Wire. “I think they’re in a similar boat with that and that’s not guaranteed. It’s how they react over here the next couple of weeks, but they’re just starting to get into where they can get on the field and not with us, but on their own and do some stuff. That’s hopefully going to be the last couple of weeks, whether it’s two games or one game or none.”

Garoppolo has been dealing with a severely sprained ankle he suffered in the 49ers second game of the season. While he attempted to play through the injury, he suffered another high ankle sprain in a Week 7.

The initial timeline on a return for Garoppolo was four-to-six weeks per Shanahan. Kittle’s was reported as an eight-week recovery time. The upcoming Bills-49ers meeting would’ve been a likely quick recovery for both, which appears to be off the table.

Without Kittle, former Washington tight end Jordan Reed has seen more playing time in the Niners lineup. Backup QB Nick Mullens will continue his starting stretch against the Bills.

It is worth noting though, the 49ers are still 5-6 without these two, along with several other players they’ve lost due to injury. Buffalo (8-3) still has a task to take care of, even without them.

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Official: Bills heading back to Arizona to face 49ers

Buffalo Bills, San Francisco 49ers in Week 13 will be held at State Farm Stadium in Arizona.

What was once thought to be a most-likely case scenario is now official. The Buffalo Bills will have to change up some travel plans for next week.

Ahead of their Week 13 Monday Night Football contest against San Francisco, the Bills will face the 49ers (5-6) in Arizona, not in the Bay Area.

It was reported over the weekend that this was a probable scenario, but the 49ers announced the move, making it official for next week in a statement:

Here’s the release:

“The San Francisco 49ers have come to an agreement with the National Football League and Arizona Cardinals which allows the 49ers to host their Weeks 13 and 14 home games against the Buffalo Bills and Washington Football Team at State Farm Stadium in Arizona.

“The Cardinals organization, State Farm Stadium and League officials have been supportive and accommodating as we work through the many logistical issues involved in relocating NFL games.

“Information regarding the 49ers future practice arrangements will be shared at the appropriate time.”

The Bills will hope for a better outcome than their last trip to State Farm Stadium in this one. In Week 10, Buffalo lost 32-30 on a last second Hail Mary pass.

Santa Clara County. where the 49ers play, has new COVID-19 restrictions. Those banned all contact sports and mandated a 14-day quarantine for anyone traveling into the area from 150 miles away which is why the game’s venue has now been moved.

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