Five 49ers to watch in must-win Week 14 game vs. Bills

Five 49ers to watch in must-win Week 14 game vs. Bills originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

There is no need to even discuss the 49ers’ playoff possibilities until they get back to the .500 mark.

That is, if they get back to the .500 mark.

The 49ers take a 5-6 record into Orchard Park, N.Y., where they will face one of the NFL’s hottest teams in conditions that might make their Week 12 game at Green Bay feel balmy.

But that’s low on the list of the 49ers’ concerns.

The top challenge that awaits comes in the form of Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen. With six regular-season games remaining, Allen is the betting favorite to win NFL Most Valuable Player.

“I think it starts with Josh Allen,” 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said. “I think he continues to get better. He’s all what he’s always been, effective, being able to run and scramble and find guys.

“The difference I think with him this year is just being more effective. He’s grown as far as being able to throw on time.”

Meanwhile, the 49ers are running out of time.

In order to keep it close and give themselves a chance to win, the 49ers must receive strong performances from these five players (and a whole lot more):

DT Maliek Collins

The 49ers’ depth on their defensive line has been tested this season, and Maliek Collins has been the rock in the interior of their defensive line.

Collins’ week has already been a good one. Collins surprised some unsuspecting families in the area with money for groceries around the Thanksgiving holiday.

On the field, Collins can make an impact, too.

The Bills’ run game is led by fourth-year running back James Cook, who has 596 yards and 10 touchdowns on the ground. Collins will be asked to stuff the interior of the line and force Buffalo to become one-dimensional with its passing game.

Then, Collins will often stay on the field to rush the passer. His four sacks on the season rank behind only Nick Bosa (7) and Leonard Floyd (6.5) for tops on the team.

RG Dominick Puni

The 49ers have gotten good production from their rookie class, led by right guard Dominick Puni, a third-round draft pick from Kansas.

Puni was outstanding through 10 games but struggled last week in the loss to Green Bay. Puni was called for three penalties and allowed his first sack of the season.

Puni and the rest of the 49ers’ offensive line will have a chance to get the team going on Sunday night. Buffalo does not have a strong run defense. The Bills rank 30th in the league, allowing a 4.9-yard average per rushing attempt.

Puni will be matched throughout the game on Buffalo defensive tackles Ed Oliver and DaQuan Jones.

WR Deebo Samuel

Coming off a game in which he let two Brandon Allen passes slip through his hands, wide receiver Deebo Samuel has to turn up his production several notches.

The 49ers’ quarterback will need all the help he can get in the expected weather conditions at Orchard Park.

And when Samuel is on his game, he can set the tone for a game with his hard-charging style of play.

Samuel needs to be able to make those short and intermediate catches and then make it painful for the Bills’ defensive backs to bring him down.

The 49ers must connect on those plays and pile up yards after the catch to compete against the Bills. And that could all start with Samuel.

LB Fred Warner

If it looks as if linebacker Fred Warner’s play has fallen off since Week 4, there’s a good reason for that.

Warner revealed this week that he sustained a fractured ankle just before halftime of the 49ers’ game against the New England Patriots on Sept. 29 at Levi’s Stadium. He said he must receive pain-killing injections in order to play every week.

“It was a fracture when I sprained it,” Warner said. “Any time you fracture a bone, if you continue to play on it, the bone is usually not going to be able to heal itself. So just got to continue to fight through.”

With the possibility of freezing temperatures, snow and the challenge of facing Josh Allen, Warner will face his stiffest physical challenge.

Listed at 6-foot-5, 237 pounds, Allen has one of the strongest arms in the NFL and can win a game with his legs, too.

RB Christian McCaffrey

On the bright side, there is no indication running back Christian McCaffrey is still bothered by Achilles tendinitis in both legs, which kept him out of action in training camp and the first eight games of the season.

“My eyes tell me he’s close to busting out,” Lynch said during his interview on 49ers Game Plan.

But McCaffrey’s level of production is nowhere close to what it was last season, when he earned NFL Offensive Player of the Year. McCaffrey averaged 91.2 rushing yards and 35.3 receiving yards per game while scoring 21 touchdowns in 16 games.

In three games, McCaffrey is averaging nearly 2 yards fewer per rushing attempt compared to last season. He has just 149 yards on 43 rushing attempts, though his receiving yards are up with 13 catches for 132 yards. He has yet to get into the end zone.

The 49ers will rely on McCaffrey to show his form of last season if they have any chance of winning this game.

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