SF 49ers: 5 best storylines to watch on Monday night vs. Bills

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Running back Fred Jackson #22 of the Buffalo Bills runs against linebacker Eric Bakhtiari #96 of the San Francisco 49ers (Photo by Brian Bahr/Getty Images) /

No. 1: Who wins the fourth quarter, the SF 49ers or Bills?

If there’s one noticeable advantage Buffalo has over San Francisco, it’s in fourth-quarter scoring.

Ahead of Week 13, the Bills are averaging 8.7 points scored in the fourth frame of regulation, which ranks fifth best in the league. The SF 49ers, meanwhile, are at 7.5 points in the fourth quarter, which is tied for 13th.

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Bills quarterback Josh Allen has done a good job at the helm of an offense putting together a 71.9 completion percentage together in the fourth quarter, while totaling 904 yards. Both figures are the highest out of any quarter of regulation on average.

To counter, the Niners’ fluctuation under center this season with Mullens in and out of games has led to a fourth-quarter team completion percentage of 66.9, which is noticeably lower than the offensive-best 71.1 in the first quarter. While San Francisco has gained 1,031 pass yards in the fourth frame, one has to remember the chunk yards gained during garbage time in Weeks 8 and 9 against the Seattle Seahawks and Green Bay Packers when the 49ers were well on their way to losing by that point.

Needless to say, the big task at hand will be for the Niners to curtail Buffalo’s fourth-quarter offense as much as possible while staying efficient with the ball, too.

In a tight ballgame, those possessions during the final 15 minutes will be key.

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The SF 49ers and Bills kick off on Monday, Dec. 7 at 8:15 p.m. ET from State Farm Stadium.