ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- As if kicker Rian Lindell and the Buffalo Bills didn't feel bad enough already after another loss that further dashed their playoff hopes.
Now their once-loyal fan base has turned on them.
Lindell became the target of vicious catcalls -- fans yelling at him to retire -- as the player slowly walked up the tunnel to the Bills' locker room after missing two field-goal attempts in a 10-3 loss to the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday.
Left tackle Jason Peters was so unhappy that he stopped and started yelling back at fans. And then there was receiver Roscoe Parrish, who was nearly struck by debris thrown from the stands.
It was an ugly send-off for a team that had raised expectations by getting off to a 5-1 start, and now appears destined to miss the playoffs for a ninth straight season after dropping five of six -- and three straight at home.
Though the Bills players didn't talk about the fans' reaction following the game, their frustration and disappointment was apparent.
"It's unexplainable," defensive end Chris Kelsay said. "It's going to be hard to sleep and hard to get this taste out of your mouth."
Lindell put it all on himself, saying: "I stunk. I don't know what to tell you."
Nothing went right for the Bills, who also lost starter Trent Edwards, who was sidelined by a groin injury after the first half.
The 49ers (4-8) played the role of spoilers by not only beating the Bills but also preventing the Arizona Cardinals from clinching the NFC West and their first playoff berth in 10 years -- the longest active playoff drought in the NFL.
Led by a stout defensive effort that limited the Bills to a field goal on four trips inside the red zone, San Francisco became the first West Coast team to win in the East this season.
The 49ers also finally defeated an opponent with a winning record after previously beating lowly Seattle, Detroit and St. Louis.
"Oh, it's big," 49ers linebacker Takeo Spikes said in his first game against his former team. "Confidence. It's the confidence to be able to beat a team with a winning record."
The only thing linebacker Patrick Willis would dispute is anyone referring to the 49ers as spoilers.
"Right now, it's all about us being the best we can be," said Willis, the second-year player who finished with a game-high 14 tackles and also forced a fumble. "If that means somebody else not making it to the playoffs, that's for them to worry about."
The game was decided in the first half. Isaac Bruce scored on a 12-yard catch from Shaun Hill to cap a 14-play, 72-yard drive on the 49ers' first possession. Joe Nedney then hit a 50-yard field goal in the final minute of the second quarter, and the 49ers' defense did the rest.
San Francisco stopped Buffalo twice on fourth down, including once when backup J.P. Losman threw an incompletion on fourth-and-2 at the 49ers 8. Nedney's field goal came after Willis stripped running back Marshawn Lynch of the ball.
"It's a tribute to them in terms of how hard they're working and at the same time how they stuck together," 49ers coach Mike Singletary said. "Any time you win and you're not at home, it's big. But to limit the number of points they had to three is very rewarding."
The Bills were held without a touchdown at home for the first time since a 20-3 loss to Miami on Dec. 21, 2003. It was a significant turnaround for a team that scored the second-most points in franchise history in a 54-31 win at Kansas City last weekend.
Now third-year coach Dick Jauron is facing questions of whether his job is on the line.
"I always feel like I'm playing for my job," said Jauron, who is in the final year of his contract. "It's just the nature of our business. You could say that any game, any game and every game."
Notes: Bruce scored his 90th career touchdown receiving, the ninth player to reach that mark in the NFL. ... Lynch had a season-best 134 yards rushing, but also lost a fumble. ... Lindell, who did hit a 22-yarder, had previously hit 53 straight attempts from inside 40 yards.
(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
