The Buffalo Bills may have caught a break heading into their December 7th game against the San Francisco 49ers. Both starting quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo and monster tight end George Kittle are expected to be sidelined for the game according to various reports.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports Jimmy G will miss at least six weeks with a high ankle sprain he’s been fighting through all year. Buffalo’s game against the 49ers is five weeks away. His passer rating is 92.4 this year after a string of poor performances but he is completing 67% of his passes.at 7.8 yards per attempt. Nick Mullens will step in. He has a 4-6 record as a starter and averages 240 yards per game.
Kittle is the bigger loss. Last year’s First-Team All-Pro at tight end a year after being named Second-Team, Kittle is out with a broken bone in his foot, which could cost him eight weeks. He was at a pace of 79 yards per game and has two touchdowns in six games in 2020.
The 49ers have been hammered by injuries this year, losing CB Richard Sherman, DL Nick Bosa, TE Jordan Reed, WR Jalen Hurd, RB Raheem Mostert, and a bunch more guys in addition to Kittle and Garoppolo.
In the race for the AFC East, the Miami Dolphins have already beaten the 49ers. If Buffalo and Miami end up tied in the AFC East standings, the next tiebreaker is record vs common opponents.