Focus on Bills: 49ers prepare for unexpected from tricky Buffalo
Offensive coordinator Brian Daboll's trick plays have helped first-place Bills keep opponents on their toes.
When facing the Buffalo Bills, teams have come to expect the unexpected. They may not know when or where it will happen, they just know something’s coming.
One week it’s quarterback Josh Allen catching a pass. The next week it’s a wide receiver throwing a pass to another wide receiver. Then there’s always the chance of an offensive lineman morphing into a receiver.
The array of trick plays from Bills offensive coordinator Brian Daboll have almost become a weekly part of the game plan for first-place Buffalo.
This means getting ready to host a Monday Night Football game in Arizona isn’t the only weird thing Kyle Shanahan and the 49ers are preparing for this week.
For the second straight game, Daboll dialed up a playground-type of call resulting in a Buffalo touchdown. Buffalo wide receiver Cole Beasley took a pitch from his quarterback Allen, set his feet and threw a perfect 20-yard pass to rookie receiver Gabriel Davis, who was alone in the end zone for a score against the Chargers Sunday.
It may have been unique — it was the first pass Beasley had thrown in a game since he was a high schooler 13 years ago in Little Elm, Texas — but it was also the second straight week a Daboll-designed gadget play resulted in a touchdown.
Backup receiver Isaiah McKenzie pulled off the trickery against Arizona two weeks ago when he threw a touchdown pass to Allen, who became the NFL’s only quarterback not named Taysom Hill to have multiple TD catches since 2018.
Since 2018, the Bill have had four non-quarterbacks throw for touchdowns, tying the Dolphins for the most in the NFL. The Bills have also featured left tackle Dion Dawkins in the passing game near the goal line — he’s caught two touchdown passes since 2018.
As you may have guessed, 2018 was when the Bills hired Daboll as their offensive coordinator. And, as evidenced by his play-calling, you can tell he likes having fun at his job.
“It’s a players’ game,” Daboll told reporters. “And they gotta go out there and execute. You try to call it in a timely fashion when you think it has a chance to work. Then you gotta trust the players. You do it at practice and you work on them. If they look good, then you keep them in and when the time is right you call them.”
Now it’s up to the 49ers to figure out what Daboll’s timing will look like on Monday night.
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Here’s a closer look at Sunday’s game as the 49ers make their debut at their new temporary home in Arizona:
GAME ESSENTIALS: 49ers (5-6) vs. Bills (8-3) at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz., Monday at 5:15 p.m. on ESPN, ABC-TV (Ch. 7). ODDS: Bills -3.
THREE REASONS FOR 49ERS’ OPTIMISM:
A chance to run
With Raheem Mostert back, the 49ers’ running attack has a real chance to exploit Buffalo’s forgiving rush defense. The Bills are ranked just 25th in the league against the run, allowing 4.7 yards per carry and nearly 130 yards per game. They’ve also given up a whopping 16 rushing touchdowns, just one less than the league-worst 17 allowed by the Raiders and Lions. After gaining just 156 yards total on the ground during their three-game losing streak, the 49ers somewhat bounced back with 115 yards in their win over the Rams. This could be the week the 49ers run the football like old times.
One less Buffalo threat
The 49ers won’t have to worry about dealing with speedy Bills wide receiver John Brown, who was placed on injured reserve with a high ankle sprain. Brown, who has been limited to just eight games because of leg injuries, has been another favorite target of Josh Allen, grabbing 29 passes for 386 yards and two touchdowns. Rookie Gabriel Davis will step in for Brown, who is expected back later this season. Davis, a fourth-round pick from Central Florida, has caught 19 passes for 275 yards while serving as Buffalo’s fourth receiver.
Offensive line issues
Buffalo’s offensive line hasn’t been one of its strengths this season — they’ve been ranked in the bottom third of the league as a unit while giving up 2.1 sacks per game. Nick Bosa’s big brother Joey had a career day for the Chargers against the Bills Sunday. He had eight tackles (six of them for a loss), five quarterback hits, three sacks and a fumble recovery. And now the Bills are dealing with the loss of one of their best linemen. Tackle Cody Ford, who suffered a torn meniscus in practice last week, is facing season-ending surgery and was placed on injured reserve. Ford has been a solid starter since joining the Bills as a second-round pick from Oklahoma a year ago. But he had already missed three games before going on IR over the weekend. Daryl Williams, who had taken Ford’s spot at right tackle and done an adequate job, will remain there.
THREE REASONS FOR 49ERS’ PESSIMISM:
Dealing with Diggs
Yes, the Bills like to spread the ball around on offense, but they also make a point of making sure that Stefon Diggs gets more than his share of work. The former Vikings receiver is second in the NFL with 80 catches for 945 yards and four TDs. When the Bills hit on a big pass play, Diggs is usually involved — his 15 catches for 20-plus yards is the sixth most in the league. More troublesome for the 49ers, it hasn’t seemed to matter who is covering him, Diggs makes plays. Most noteworthy, he beat Rams All-Pro cornerback Jalen Ramsey for a touchdown earlier this season.
Playing from behind
It would behoove the 49ers to get off to a quick start in Arizona on Sunday. Buffalo has made a habit out of squashing their opponents from the outset, thanks to a defense that’s allowed just 9.5 points per game during the first half. That’s better than every team except the Ravens, who’ve given up an average of 9.3 first-half points. Bills opponents have found it especially difficult to do any damage in the opening quarter. Buffalo has given up only 36 points in the first quarter, an average of 3.3 points.
About that defense …
Buffalo’s defense is loaded with solid playmakers at all three levels, from defensive linemen Jerry Hughes and Ed Oliver, to outside linebacker A.J. Klein, to Pro Bowl cornerbacks Tre’Davious White and Josh Norman, there aren’t many mismatches to be found for an offense. And the scary thing is they’re getting better. The Bills harassed Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert while registering a season-high 36 pressures on the rookie, while hitting him eight times and sacking him three times. Buffalo, which has faced a Top 8 NFL offense in five of its last seven games, is ninth in the league with 30 sacks. The Bills’ most pleasant surprise has been the play of Klein, a former backup who leads the team with five sacks. He was dominant against the Chargers with a game-high 14 tackles (10 solo), three tackles for a loss and 1.5 sacks.
PROBABLE DIFFERENCE-MAKER: Josh Allen.
The Bills star quarterback was once in the discussion for league MVP, but since beating the Raiders in Week 4, Allen has only had one game with a quarterback rating over 90.0. Allen is coming off one of his worst games of the season in a win over the Chargers as he turned the ball over twice in the fourth quarter, including his fourth interception in the last four games. Still, the former Wyoming star by way of the small Central Valley town of Firebaugh, remains an imposing dual threat. In addition to throwing his 22nd TD pass of the season, Allen ran for 32 yards and scored his team-leading fifth rushing TD. Despite his recent troubles, Allen’s hot start has helped him rank ninth in the league with a 102.3 QB rating.