Cris Collinsworth Had the Perfect Metaphor For 49ers’ Costly Fumble vs. Bills

What a wild moment at Highmark Stadium.
The Buffalo Bills prepare to recover a fumble by the San Francisco 49ers on Dec. 1, 2024.
The Buffalo Bills prepare to recover a fumble by the San Francisco 49ers on Dec. 1, 2024. / NFL / Twitter / Screenshot

If you didn't know the San Francisco 49ers were Super Bowl contenders last season, you might not believe it now. The 5–6 team has had a frustrating season marred by several injuries to its top stars—including running back Christian McCaffrey, tight end George Kittle, and wide receiver Deebo Samuel—and just isn't playing at the level fans have grown to expect.

Case in point: this week's Sunday Night Football matchup against the Buffalo Bills, where a red zone fumble nearly widened the Bills' already-large lead. San Francisco was first-and-goal at Buffalo's 5-yard line when QB Brock Purdy handed the ball off to fullback Kyle Juszczyk, who dropped it mere inches—if that—from the goal line. The Bills' Christian Benford then picked it up and ran it down to midfield, where Purdy eventually stopped him.

Watch the wild moment below:

Buffalo didn't end up converting the play into a touchdown, but it was nonetheless a huge hit to the Niners—and one commentator Cris Collinsworth summed up with the perfect metaphor: "That is the 49ers' season right there," he said, likening the so-close-yet-so-far play to San Francisco's struggles these last few weeks.

Well said, Cris, well said.

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Brigid Kennedy
BRIGID KENNEDY

Brigid Kennedy is a breaking/trending news writer at Sports Illustrated and a proud graduate of Syracuse University's S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications. She previously covered political news, sporting news, and culture at TheWeek.com before moving to Livingetc, an interior design magazine. Offline, she enjoys going to the movies, reading, and watching the Steelers.