49ers win on the road, defeat Bills 10-3

'Niners move to 4-8

The 49ers surprised the doubters by edging the Bills, 10-3, in an ugly win in Buffalo. San Francisco had every excuse to fail and could have blamed another loss on the travel east, the bad weather or their opponent. Instead, the 49ers scored just enough and played quite well on defense to come away with a victory. With four games left, maybe the 49ers have a chance for another unlikely upset and for a few more surprises before the season ends.

Though the Bills had 350 total yards, the 49ers’ defense kept them from scoring a touchdown, which is a major accomplishment. Torched for must of the season, the defense limited the damage and controlled the Bills’ offensive attack. Former Bill Nate Clements returned to Buffalo and rebounded after his nightmare against the Cowboys one-week ago. Big-ticket free agent Justin Smith played his best game of the season with five tackles and 1 ½ sacks.

On offense, quarterback Shaun Hill went 14-of-23 for 161 yards and one touchdown. The 49ers scored on their first drive, while Joe Nedney made a 50-yard field goal. Running back Frank Gore carried the ball 24 times for 66 yards. With raining falling throughout, 10 points proved to be enough against the Bills.

The win marked the first against a winning team and occurred on the road, which could considerably boost Mike Singletary’s quest to remain as the team’s head coach. Now, with four games remaining, one would think if the 49ers can split, his chances to stay would increase dramatically. So, this Sunday’s home date against the Jets looms as a huge game and one that might secure Singletary’s place on the San Francisco sideline.

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To beat the Jets, the 49ers will have to concern themselves with Brett Farve, but also running back Thomas Jones. Against the Bills, the 49ers received a break when starting quarterback Trent Edwards departed due to injury and was replaced by J.P. Losman. The 49ers won’t receive such a break against the Jets and will need to score more than 10 points to have any chance at a victory.

But, if the 49ers can either beat the Jets, Dolphins or Redskins, while defeating the Rams as expected, maybe this team can rescue itself and go into the off-season feeling a bit better about 2008.

Though, if anything has become apparent this season, it’s that the unexpected should be expected. So, while the 49ers’ gutsy win against the Bills offered a glimmer of hope that the team might be able to pick-off another quality opponent, one never knows. And the game against the Rams, the one everyone thinks should be a win, shouldn’t be put in the win column just yet.

By Jim Bucci
ProFootball-fans.com San Francisco 49ers Correspondent