The San Francisco 49ers are seeking revenge in Week 7 when they face the Kansas City Chiefs in a rematch of their Super Bowl LIV loss from three seasons.
Buy 49ers TicketsBoth the Niners and the Chiefs are coming off losses, but there may be more of a celebratory atmosphere inside Levi’s Stadium for a game that will be marked by a reunion of the 2012 team that made it to the Super Bowl — and the return of former head coach Jim Harbaugh — and mark the debut of running back Christian McCaffrey following his arrival in a blockbuster trade from the Carolina Panthers.
But what are the keys to the 49ers ensuring they are celebrating a win over a Super Bowl frontrunner come the end of Sunday’s game?
Here we look at what the Niners must do to prevail and improve to 4-3 on the season.
Play disciplined on defense
Half the battle for the 49ers against the Chiefs will be limiting them to a number of points Jimmy Garoppolo and a San Francisco offense that is not firing on all cylinders can match.
The Buffalo Bills held the Chiefs to 20 points last week largely through extremely disciplined play on defense. Buffalo leaned heavily on the two-high safety shells that have become the league-wide blueprint for any team trying to slow down Patrick Mahomes and, for the most part, the Bills’ plan worked.
Mahomes ended the game with an average depth of target of just 5.71 yards, with two of the Chiefs’ explosives coming on plays where Juju Smith-Schuster racked up yardage after the catch. The first was on a broken play that Mahomes extended to find Smith-Schuster in open space and the second came on a run-pass option where the former Steeler got free thanks to a pick play.
San Francisco’s defensive discipline let them down last week as they were confounded by the Atlanta Falcons’ motion-heavy approach and the zone-read run game. The Chiefs run a lot of yo-yo motion with Mecole Hardman, while the 49ers must constantly be on guard for Mahomes the runner along with his ability to extend plays.
If the 49er defense can play zone coverage with its usual precision, avoid allowing big plays after the catch and show the awareness that a depleted group lacked against Atlanta, a 49ers team that is close to full strength again on that side of the ball will be in a much better position to threaten the upset.
Be ready for the blitz
Unsurprisingly for a group coordinated by Steve Spagnuolo, the Chiefs’ defense is an ultra aggressive one that loves to send delayed blitzes from the secondary but will also use simulated pressures and run a plethora of twists and stunts up front.
Garoppolo typically performs quite well against the blitz, but was flustered on a play against the Falcons where they sent a simulated pressure with the frontside corner coming from the secondary as the fourth pass rusher.
San Francisco will benefit from having Trent Williams back in the lineup at left tackle but Garoppolo will need to be at his decisive best and communication up front between an inexperienced interior offensive line and the 49ers’ two veteran tackles will be critical in preventing the Chiefs’ aggressive defensive approach from wrecking Kyle Shanahan’s best-laid plans on offense.
Lean on the easy buttons
The advantageous thing about facing a defense as aggressive as that of the Chiefs is that the 49ers should find plenty of space in which to get the ball into the hands of their offensive playmakers when Kansas City does send extra rushers.
And the numbers say the Chiefs will struggle to defend the short passes that are a staple of the 49er passing game with Garoppolo under center.
The Chiefs entered Week 7 ranked 28th in Football Outsiders DVOA against the pass and their 15 passing touchdowns allowed so far this season are the most in the NFL.
In other words, if Garoppolo can get the ball out quickly to the playmakers Shanahan so consistently schemes into open space, the 49ers should have ample opportunity to score points against Spagnuolo’s defense.
A lot will be thrown at the 49ers in this game, and in response they should not look to overcomplicate things. Garoppolo can lean on his easy buttons and look for Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk, George Kittle and – depending how often he sees the field – McCaffrey to do the crucial damage with ball in hand.
It’s been a painful wait for the chance to get revenge on the Chiefs, but the formula for doing so is a familiar one.
