A running theme of the Mike Singletary era has been his reliance on 5 specific keys to victory, which he calls "49ers Formula for Success."  It's been discussed over and over again by the beat writers and was featured early in yesteday's game on Fox.  It's brought up repeatedly in practice so clearly these are things he strongly values.  Singletary's keys to victory are:

1. Total Ball Security
2. Execute
3. Dominate the trenches
4. Create great field position
5. Finish

I'm thinking that as long as Singletary is running things (and as long as he doesn't change them), the morning after a game will involve a run down of his 5 keys to victory and how the team performed in each area.  I'll even throw out arbitrary grades.  Feel free to do the same.

Total Ball Security
Given the weather, ball security figured to be a big issue.  In the end the 49ers fumbled the ball four times and the Bills fumbled twice.  The good news is that the 49ers only lost one of those fumbles.  Given the nasty, rainy weather it's not surprising that there were ball security issues.  At the same time, one problem that continues to appear is on the center-QB exchange.  This is at least the third game where Heitmann and Hill have had an issue.  For the most part they've been able to recover the ball, but it's something that needs to be addressed.  I'd say all things considered, for Total Ball Security, the team probably deserves about a B-.  It'd be worse but I'll give them a pass becaus of the weather.

Execute
As Barrows wondered, what does this mean?  On offense the team executed quite impressively on their opening drive but struggled to execute much of anything the rest of the way.  Nothing really got going for them so I'd suppose that's not "executing."  The defense gave had issues with bending, but in the red zone they absolutely executed.  The 49ers have done fairly well in not giving up touchdowns in the endzone.  That proved huge given Rian Lindell's field goal struggles.  Special teams certainly executed as Nedney drilled an important 51-yard field goal and Andy Lee continued to drop punts inside the 20.  All in all I'd say offensive execution is probably a C+ or B-, defensive execution gets an A (the red zone defense makes up for Marshawn Lynch running wild in my opinion) and special teams execution gets an A+.

Dominate the trenches
On the offensive side of the ball, there was not a whole lot of domination.  Frank Gore simply could not get going, averaging a mere 2.8 yards per carry.  Given what Gore has proven he can do, I consider this as much an offensive line issue as anything else.  Shaun Hill was sacked 3 times but on the scoring drive he was provided enough time to make some big throws.  Offensively I'd give the team a C+.

On the defensive side of the ball, the 49ers didn't get a ton of pressure on the QBs, but they definitely got it when they needed it.  It certainly helped that Losman more or less created the pressure for the 49ers by running around when it wasn't necessary.  Marshawn Lynch had a big day running the ball, which would indicate poor performance in the trenches.  The good news on that front though is that when the Bills got into the red zone they couldn't punch the ball in.  Once again, the red zone domination of the trenches more than makes up for the earlier struggles in that regard.  Defensively I'd give the team a B.

Create great field position
Since losing Allen Rossum, Delanie Walker has done a decent job on kick returns but nothing spectacular.  Nate Clements is back on punts and had one small return.  Clearly the team misses Allen Rossum.  Hopefully he'll be back for the Jets game.  The 49ers started inside their own 20 twice and in Bills territory twice although that was due in part to turnovers and not due to the return men.  All in all, I'd give the team a B-.  Nothing special but no mistakes.

Finish
In winning the game, this section brings kudos to the defense.  The defense bent quite often this game, but always finished things when the Bills got into the redzone.  More importantly, the Bills got the ball three times late in the game with a chance to score and the defense stepped up big time.  The first time the Bills drove to the 49ers 7 and turned it over on downs thanks to some timely pressure.  The second time the Bills started on the 49ers 25 thanks to a big Parrish punt return and a personal foul.  A 3 and out later and the Bills missed a field goal.  The third time was the Bills final possession in which Losman faced a ton of pressure and couldn't make the necessary plays.

Again, the defense's red zone performance is what makes this an A performance.  The offense struggled, but for the most part they didn't do anything too stupid.  In a knock-down, drag-out battle sometimes thast's all that's necessary.  The offense will obviously need to put points on the board against the Jets, but as long as they can avoid turnovers, I think better weather will lead to improved offense.

It might have been a little ugly.  No, check that.  It was a LOT ugly.  The 49ers were 3-27 in their last 30 in 10am starts and West Coast teams had not won on the East Coast all season.  Well, that has all changed in what has to be the biggest win of the season for the 49ers.  The 49ers 3 wins prior came against the Lions, Rams and the Seahawks...not exactly titans of terror.  A win against a team desperate for a playoff spot is always a good win, especially when it comes on the road.

As many pointed out in the thread, there was a lot of bad in this game.  Shaun Hill and Eric Heitmann continue to have trouble on that Center-QB exchange.  Vernon Davis continues to make stupid plays.  Mike Martz continues to make some rather stupid play calls late in the game with the lead.  And of course, the defense continues its bending style, although there was no breakage today.

However, I think that one paragraph is enough coverage of the negatives for today.  When you get something so rare as an East Coast win, you have to be pleased, no matter how it happened.  Each unit made mistakes, but they also found ways to win this game and that should be accounted for.

Offense
Shaun Hill was not wildly impressive, but this might qualify as a Hill special: no killer turnovers and doing just enough to win the game.  Frank Gore really struggled getting anything going, but he kept on grinding it out.  He had a couple of solid runs in that first scoring drive and for the most part they did what they could to have him dictate the tempo of the game.  What's really impressive is that the 49ers were outgained by 145 yards and ran quite few less plays, but were only out-possessed by 1 minute.

The highlight of the game though had to be Isaac Bruce absolutely schooling Leodis McKelvin on the first drive, including a touchdown reception that left McKelvin holding Bruce's jockstrap.

Defense
As ugly as the defense was at times, they did enough to prevent the Bills from getting into the end zone, whether it be Balmer's pass deflection or some really key sacks of J.P. Losman.  Marshawn Lynch had a field day, but never got into the end zone.  Fred Jackson is considered one of the under-the-radar impressive guys but he really did nothing and was stood up behind the line of scrimmage on several plays.

As has been stated, if the team is going to stick with the 3-4, a monstrous nose tackle like Terrence Cody is a must in this upcoming draft.  A big guy taking up two offensive linemen would be the ticket for opening up more of a pass rush.  Thankfully J.P. Losman did that for us today.

Special Teams
Joe Nedney had a big 51-yard field goal late in the first half, but more importantly was the play of Andy Lee.  He continues to be just an absolute stud on punts.  He didn't have any particularly stand out punts (like the 80+ yarder) but I think his play deserves extra recognition.

Coaching
As Grumpy Guy mentioned late in the game thread, Mike Singletary moved a step closer to dropping that interim title.  And as everybody pointed out, and I agree, Mike Nolan's 49ers would have lost this game.  Even when things started going a bit haywire, the team maintained its composure and I attribute that in part to the veterans and in larger part to Coach Singletary.

We'd probably all prefer to see the 49ers win blowouts and take care of business early.  At the same time, there's something satisfying about your team gutting out a tough win on the road.  As much as I'd like to see the 49ers shock the world and storm back to take the NFC West, I'm not holding my breath.  The team just needs to show me continued improvements.  Even with all the mistakes, going on the road and beating a .500+ team is an improvement no matter how you look at it.

I'd like to close though by presenting game balls to Rian Lindell and J.P. Losman.  Lindell shanked a pair of field goals off the uprights and the first miss may have led in part to Dick Jauron's decision to go for it on 4th down later.  Maybe that had nothing to do with it, but it certainly wouldn't surprise me if it did.  Leaving six points on the board was huge.  As for Losman, he single handedly created a pass rush for the 49ers.  When Edwards was in, even though he was throwing ugly incompletions, he seemed to have time in the pocket.  Losman, on the other hand, seemed to get impatient and get happy-feet.  A few moves and he was running into his own linemen and 49ers defensive linemen much of the second half.  Whatever though, I'll take it any way I can get it.

Thanks to everybody who took part in the game thread.  It was a stomach-churner of a game, but we certainly do enjoy a win and it's always fun shanking somebody else's playoff chances.  Participants are listed after the jump and as always, check out the SB Nation NFL Hub at the link in the graphic for your up to date league info.

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How many of you remember how Chris Berman used to pick the Bills and the 49ers in the Super Bowl at the beginning of EVERY NFL season.  I still don't know why he did it, but I always found that amusing.  Way back in the early 90s I was usually rooting for those Bills teams in the Super Bowl as I couldn't stand the Cowboys, Redskins and Giants. 

Long story short, while I'm not a Bills fan, I find myself particularly intrigued by the Bills of last year and this year.  I'm not a Stanford fan but I expect some decent things from Trent Edwards.  Although, I will confess that I have Trent Edwards in a dynasty fantasy football league (keep an entire 28 man roster), so that may explain why I like Trent.  The Bills addition of James Hardy to pair with Lee Evans keeps me just as interested.  For those who don't remember, back before the draft from January to April I became more and more enamored by the monstrous Indiana receiver.

The SB Nation Bills blog is Buffalo Rumblings, and is run by Brian Galliford.  It's a very solid blog and I recommend checking it out when you get a chance.

Overview
The Bills rolled off their second straight 7-9 season last year, but I think it's safe to say that it could be considered a season of growth.  They added four starters via the 2006 draft (Lynch, Posluszny, Edwards and and Derek Schouman at fullback) and if not for a 3-game swoon to finish the season, they would have finished at or above .500.

Edwards split time with JP Losman over the course of 2006.  While Edwards did not blow people away with his numbers, he should some signs of being a solid signall-caller.

Additions
The Bills appear to be talking a cautious but smart approach in building through the draft, while adding some key parts through free agency.  They added starters in defensive tackle Marcus Stroud and outside linebacker Kawika Mitchell.  The Bills finished in the middle of the pack in both rushing and passing defense, so I'd imagine they hope for an impact from Stroud and Mitchell.

The Bills had 10 picks in the 2007 draft and came with two potential immediate starters.  Leodis McKelvin, a cornerback out of Troy, is battling Jabari Greer for the #2 cornerback position and I'd imagine he'll get every opportunity to win the job.  On the offensive side of the ball, big James Hardy currently sits behind Josh Reed and will be battling with Reed and Roscoe Parrish for catches.  Young wide receivers take time to develop and Hardy is a guy I'm especially curious about.  He's got the physical tools, but so did JJ Stokes.  He needs to convert that potential into production if he wants to make a name for himself (in a good way!).

Subtractions
The Bills didn't get hurt too badly by free agency losses.  The toughest loss, technically, would probably be Jason Webster, the former 49er who will now be a starting corner in New England.  Of course, the Bills went with a cornerback in the first round so I'd imagine they're not too shaken up over the loss.  Other than that, the Bills remain a young team looking to lock up the youngsters.

2008 Questions and Answers
As is always the case with a young QB, the biggest question is whether Trent Edwards will step up and take the mantle of control.  The addition of James Hardy gives him one more weapon to throw too.  Now it's just a matter of Edwards producing.

Can Marshawn Lynch improve upon 2007?  For a rookie he put up solid numbers, but I think it's safe to say the Bills would like him to improve upon the 4.0 yards per rush.  If the Bills are going to improve their passing game, they really need to get continued production out of Lynch.

vs. San Francisco
Depending on how the first 12 weeks of the season shake out, this week 13 matchup could be HUGE.  Back during the favorite/underdog predictions, I predicted the Bills would be a favorite in this game.  The 49ers will have gone through the toughest stretch of their schedule and this could be a make or break game for any potential playoff chances for both teams.  The Bills are a prime candidate to surprise people and make the playoffs (or at least a run at the playoffs) and we've discussed thoughts on the 49ers chances aplenty.

The outcome of this game will depend in part on the 49ers development and in part on the development of Trent Edwards.  If the 49ers want to make the playoffs, I think this game falls into the must-win category, and I don't think a win is entirely out of the question.  I think the 49ers defense holds firm and Frank Gore powers through the undoubtedly freezing weather to lead the 49ers to victory.  I smell a last second Joe Nedney field goal and the 49ers pull out a 23-20 victory.