After all the 49ers need one other shot on the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs, a replay of the Tremendous Bowl in Las Vegas on what became a forgettable February afternoon for San Francisco.
The Chiefs are chasing a three-peat and are off to a 5-0 begin, stringing collectively 11 consecutive wins courting to final Christmas by the postseason. Inarguably their best win in that batch was the 25-22 time beyond regulation victory during which the Chiefs overcame a 10-point deficit and captured the Lombardi Trophy in Tremendous Bowl LVIII.
San Francisco is 3-3 after taking head coach Kyle Shanahan termed a “should win” in his locker room earlier than an NFC West grudge match at Seattle on Oct. 10. He’s not going fairly that far this week, however there is no such thing as a denying how necessary the 49ers imagine Sunday may very well be to their 2024 season.
“I attempt to have the identical dialog each week, simply phrase it slightly otherwise — I by no means need to say ‘should win,'” Shanahan stated. “I see this sport like I see all video games. Each sport issues. However I did not select these phrases (should win) this week.”
Whereas the 49ers are comparatively rested from a 10-day window between video games and wish the rematch, the timing of rolling out the purple carpet for the NFL’s crownbearer is not solely good. Kansas Metropolis had final week off.
Chiefs coach Andy Reid owns the NFL’s highest profitable proportion popping out of a bye week. He’s 21-4 (.840), together with an 8-3 file popping out of a bye week within the common season with Kansas Metropolis.
As well as, the Niners aren’t precisely an image of well being. They’re nonetheless with out 2023 NFL Offensive Participant of the Yr Christian McCaffrey, and his backup, Jordan Mason, the No. 2 rusher within the NFL this season, left final week’s sport with a sprained shoulder.
Additionally, 49ers huge receiver Jauan Jennings (hip) and kicker Jake Moody (proper ankle sprain) didn’t observe Wednesday. Wideout Deebo Samuel Sr. (wrist) was restricted.
Defensive finish Mike Danna (pectoral) was the lone common who did not observe out of the bye for the Chiefs.
Shanahan stated shifts in scheme have been frequent in matchups with the Chiefs, altering tendencies on offense and protection within the fourth quarter significantly. The underside line for all opponents attempting to unravel Kansas Metropolis is thrashing quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
“Everybody says ‘down yr’ as a result of their numbers aren’t simply loopy. However Pat’s pretty much as good because it will get,” stated Shanahan, who’s 0-7 in his profession in opposition to Reid as an assistant or head coach. “He is been pretty much as good because it will get because the first yr he acquired to play. All of their video games apart from one has come all the way down to the final possession, and he is pretty much as good because it will get in that scenario.”
Shanahan’s file vs. Reid consists of two defeats in 49ers-Chiefs Tremendous Bowl matchups. Kansas Metropolis beat San Francisco 31-20 in February 2020.
Accidents aren’t an excuse the Chiefs are introducing. Although refreshed after per week off, Kansas Metropolis is way from full energy with 12 video games to go within the common season.
The Chiefs head West with out No. 1 working again Isiah Pacheco (leg) and the workforce’s prime two huge receivers Hollywood Brown (shoulder) and Rashee Rice (knee), who’re all on injured reserve. Acquainted faces rejoined the Chiefs in current weeks and now discover themselves in outstanding roles alongside Mahomes. Kareem Hunt is working as the highest working again once more for the Chiefs, and Kansas Metropolis rediscovered JuJu Smith-Schuster, signed off the road in August, in a seven-catch, 130-yard effort in Week 5 vs. New Orleans.
The depth-chart roulette additionally invited Mahomes to reconnect with Travis Kelce. The tight finish has 16 catches for 159 yards up to now two video games, a serious a part of the Mahomes mentality to not lament who is not out there for a given sport.
“I am simply excited for the fellows who proceed to get higher each week,” Mahomes stated. “I believe we have got the fellows to do it.”
The offensive numbers are comparatively modest to start out this season from Mahomes’ greatest statistical seasons. He has as many TDs (six) as INTs in 2024. Kansas Metropolis enters the week fifteenth in scoring (23.6 per sport), ninth in passing (236.8 yards per sport) and eleventh in whole offense (354.6 yards per sport).
Reid stated avoiding penalties and turnovers was an emphasis after a self-scout throughout the bye week.
“We are able to do a greater job of not stopping ourselves with issues,” Reid stated. “Whether or not it is penalties or dropped balls, we have had a few these. Schematically, we return and we hammer by that. We may help out the fellows in among the areas, too, simply placing them in slightly bit higher place.”
The 49ers are thriving even with an evolving solid, averaging 27 factors (ninth within the league), 420 whole yards (second), 262 passing yards (second) and 158 speeding yards (third) getting into Week 7. And solely 4 groups have fewer defensive takeaways than the Chiefs (4).
Nevertheless, as 49ers linebacker Fred Warner painfully framed this week, Mahomes has by no means misplaced to the 49ers. He’s 4-0 with 1,356 cross yards (339 per contest), 11 TDs (10 cross, one rush) with a mixed passer ranking of 104.6 when dealing with San Francisco.
“They nonetheless acquired 15 again there. I’ve but to beat him,” Warner stated. “I’ve performed in opposition to him possibly 4 occasions now and have but to beat him. I believe it is an necessary sport for us to attempt to recover from that hump and get the win.”
With a win Sunday in Santa Clara, Kansas Metropolis would change into the tenth defending Tremendous Bowl champion to start out the next season 6-0. The one occasions the Chiefs started 6-0 have been 2003, once they completed 13-3 however misplaced within the AFC divisional playoffs, and 2013, once they went 11-5 and fell in an AFC wild-card sport.
–Subject Degree Media
