If the San Francisco 49ers are planning on a Super Bowl return, they are going to have to do it the hard way.
After being destroyed 38-10 by the Green Bay Packers, Kyle Shanahan’s team is up against it at 5-6.
Highmark Stadium is braced for arctic conditions[/caption]
Fans may have to bring their shovels[/caption]
The NFC West – led by the 6-5 Seattle Seahawks – is wide open, but San Francisco needs to start winning.
Unfortunately, the 9-2 Buffalo Bills are up next on Sunday Night Football.
And to make matters worse for the 49ers, they may not see the sun again until they touch back down in California.
A brutal arctic storm is set to hit western New York this weekend.
Highmark Stadium is under a Winter Storm Watch with a forecast of heavy lake-effect snow.
More than a half-foot could fall in areas around the stadium.
The Bills should be more used to the frigid conditions and are coming off a bye week having rested up following their Week 11 win over the previously perfect Kansas City Chiefs.
As well as the snow, winds of up to 30mph are set to make temperatures feel like they have hit the single digits, per Fox.
Throwing the ball will be a challenge, meaning running backs – and mobile quarterbacks – could decide the game.
Enter Josh Allen.
The Bills know all about snowy conditions[/caption]
Buffalo is famous for its snow globe games[/caption]
The Bills can put a real dent in San Francisco’s playoff chances[/caption]
49ers edge rusher Leonard Floyd knows all about the threat posed by the Bills signal-caller thanks to his time in Buffalo.
“Sheesh. Ain’t going to lie, it’s going to be a tough week,” Floyd told KNBR.
“We got to have the right mindset with this one. Being on the same team with him, he’s a very competitive quarterback; you got to be at a high level, you got to match his level.
“It’s going to be a great matchup. You know me, I’m going out, I’m giving it my all I got and hopefully I can bring him down.
“I most definitely circled this one because Buffalo was a different experience.
“They got great fans, and [Highmark Stadium] is going to be a hostile environment for us and we’re going to have to endure and play through that and stay together, and hopefully come out with a victory.”
The 49ers are hoping to have Brock Purdy back under center after he missed the Packers blowout with a shoulder injury.
Purdy did “light throwing” on Monday and will try and step up his practices throughout the week.
“Most guys get [two MRIs] after you get the first one, and it seems okay, [but] then you have some pain later come up later in the week,” head coach Shanahan said.
“You want to make sure you didn’t miss anything.”
“We’ll see how it feels on Wednesday. Hopefully it responds better this week than it did last week with the rest.”
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