Two Bills Drive

‘It appeared as if the 49ers were using the Bills as a warm-up to the Rams. Coaches decided to counter the Bills’ fine receivers, Peerless Price and Eric Moulds, with man coverage and a bevy of blitzes early in the game.’

‘Buffalo was tied for last in the league in turnover margin, and was fourth worst at giving up quarterback sacks. The 49ers, who forced just 16 turnovers in their first 10 games, got five last night, and they sacked Bills QB Alex Van Pelt twice.’

‘The 49ers announced last night’s crowd at a standard 67,252, but at least 27,252 of those came to the park, saw that two of the stadium’s five lots were two feet below sea level and turned around, enraged and conjugating inappropriate verbs in front of the kids as they slogged back to their homes.’

‘Former 49ers safety Pierson Prioleau, who was released in training camp, resurfaced on the active roster for the first time with the Bills after getting picked up three weeks ago.’

‘Said Plummer of his interceptions: "I think they’re a gift from God."’

‘If Garcia sounded like he was talking about tossing away trash, he wasn’t exaggerating by much. The Bills were garbage.’

‘Their 35-0 victory over the eminently routable Buffalo Bills on Sunday night only confirmed what some of us have resisted believing the past three months. They’re good. They’re for real. Why, at 9-2 they’re the best team in the Bay Area.’

‘Reynolds said the stadium features 20,000 parking spaces, and at least 2,000 of the 7,000 in the main lot were unavailable because of flooding.’

‘Thinking they could recapture some of their night-time magic and utilize the motivation that comes from playing in front of a nationwide audience, the Bills exuded confidence throughout the week that they could battle the 49ers evenly. They didn’t.’

‘In a brutal season in which people’s expectations have been lowered to just wanting to see glimmers of progress under new coach Gregg Williams, the Bills took a leap off the Golden Gate Bridge.’

‘In taking a 14-0 halftime lead, the 49ers outgained the Bills by 222-74, had a 14-4 edge in first downs, and Jeff Garcia completed 15 of 19 passes for 148 yards.’

‘Secondary: A very long night against the NFL’s fifth-ranked passing game. Garcia was 9 of 9 at one point and in the first half, and converted 6 of 7 third-down passes. A 17-yard touchdown pass to Terrell Owens against Antoine Winfield was a simple mismatch of size. Reserve Tai Streets beat safety Travares Tillman for a 23-yard score. F.’

‘"Those guys up front are the keys to it all," said Hearst, who rushed for a score early in the second quarter. "Tonight, they just took control and smashed people."’

‘"We not only had trouble on defense, we had trouble converting on offense."’

‘Hearst is on pace for 235 carries and 1,242 yards this season, and he is improving weekly. The extra money that he will earn will cost the 49ers significantly against next year’s salary cap. But the 49ers figure this kind of performance is worth it.’