ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — Sunday Night Football games are already a big event. The snow made it just a little more special.
The Buffalo Bills and San Francisco 49ers met at Highmark Stadium for what many people thought could be a Super Bowl preview when the season began.
The Bills won 35-10 and won the AFC East for a fifth straight season.
The 49ers struck first, going nine plays and 48 yards on their opening before settling for a 33-yard field goal by Jake Moody. That drive consumed 4 minutes, 40 seconds.
The Bills responded with a 13-play, 70-yard drive capped by Ray Davis' 5-yard touchdown run. His leap into the end zone and the point-after try made it 7-3 Bills as the first quarter came to a close.
Things started to roll downhill for the 49ers not long after that. First, star running back Christian McCaffrey appeared to get hurt, going down on his own on a carry with around 11 minutes to play until halftime. He immediately went to the medical tent, then made his way to the locker room to be evaluated.
That drive ended with a missed Moody field goal, and on the very next play, Bills running back raced down the right sideline 65 yards for a touchdown. Buffalo pushed the lead to 14-3 with 8:38 to play before halftime.
The Bills expanded that lead to 21-3 with only 41 seconds left in the half following a 7-yard touchdown pass from Josh Allen to Mack Hollins.
The next Buffalo touchdown defied all explanation. Allen completed a short pass to the left to wide receiver Amari Cooper, who appeared to be stopped before pitching it back to Allen, whose rushing instincts kicked in. He dove for the end zone and extended the football, which hit the pylon, making it another Bills touchdown.
The Bills led 28-3 with 5:58 to play in the third quarter. The rout appeared to be on, except 49ers running back Isaac Guerendo capped a six-play, 48-yard drive with a 15-yard touchdown run, cutting the lead to 28-10.