The 49ers couldn’t do quite enough things right in a 44-23 loss to the Chiefs at Levi’s Stadium on Sunday.
Buy 49ers TicketsThey looked okay offensively, but couldn’t convert long drives into touchdowns, and their defense got flambeed by Patrick Mahomes and a dynamic Chiefs offense.
The 49ers made a trade for Christian McCaffrey because they fancied themselves Super Bowl contenders. Sunday afternoon showed just how far away they are.
Thoughts and notes from each quarter:
First quarter
– The 49ers’ throwbacks are so sick.
– Jeff Wilson Jr. starts at running back.
– Christian McCaffrey makes his 49ers debut on the third offensive snap. San Francisco went with an RPO. Jimmy Garoppolo kept it and threw it too high for George Kittle.
– Toss to McCaffrey and he cuts it back for 10 yards and a first down. Levi’s Stadium is buzzing.
– McCaffrey just split out wide right on a screen to Brandon Aiyuk. The maximized version of this offense is going to be absolute chaos.
– First drive stalls in the red zone. There was a weird toss play to Deebo Samuel that went nowhere on second-and-4. The 49ers should probably scrap that one. Robbie Gould’s 30-yard field goal puts the 49ers up 3-0.
– Jimmie Ward in as the nickel cornerback to start the first defensive series.
– Interception! Tashaun Gipson drove on a throw over the middle and tipped it up for Talanoa Hufanga’s third interception of the year. Huge play early in this one and the 49ers now-healthy defense gets a stop.
– Tyrion Davis-Price is the RB to start the 49ers’ second series.
– Dangerous throw into double coverage by Garoppolo, but Samuel went up and hauled it in. That was a nice throw and good work by the receiver to come down with it between two defenders.
– Unbelievable play by Garoppolo. He escaped pressure to his right and as he was being hit floated a throw to the front corner of the end zone where Ray-Ray McCloud made a terrific diving catch. The 49ers offense is humming right now. It’s 10-0 and they have 97 yards on 13 plays.
– Turns out Travis Kelce is pretty good. The 49ers lost him on a third-and-1 and he rumbled for 27 yards. San Francisco can’t lose him on play action.
– Nick Bosa lined up offsides on consecutive plays. Yikes.
– Kansas City’s offense is ridiculous. Mecole Hardman cruised in on a double jet-motion look that the Chiefs ran earlier without handing it off. This time Mahomes got it to his speedy WR and he walked in for six. It’s 10-7, 49ers.
– Brandon Aiyuk is so good at getting open.
End of first quarter: 49ers 10, Chiefs 7
Second quarter
– McCaffrey’s first catch is a screen to open the second quarter. It went for 13 yards. Bet we see a lot of that during his 49ers tenure.
– A Chris Jones sighting. He sacks Garoppolo on a third-and-7. It looked like a defensive lineman got a hand in the lane he was trying to throw through. Jones eventually bullied his way back for the Chiefs’ first sack of the game. A 50-yard field goal from Gould made it a 13-7 49ers lead.
– The 49ers defensive line can’t stop jumping offsides.
– The Chiefs are living in second and third-and-short. That is not sustainable against any offense. San Francisco needs a sack, but their pass rush has been mostly non-existent.
– Hardman again. He runs in from 25 yards out behind some excellent blocking on an end around. The 49ers defense is getting shredded on the ground for the second consecutive week. It’s 14-13, Chiefs.
– A deep shot to Danny Gray! It was incomplete, but thrilling nonetheless.
– And then a deep shot to Kittle connects for 34 yards. Nice throw from the QB. Kittle is up to 64 yards on four receptions.
– Penalties are killing the 49ers. They have three for 20 yards on this series.
– Another sack comes from the right side. Nobody blocked the blitzing LB.
– What a disaster. The 49ers lined up for a 51-yard field goal, but a false start pushed them back out of field goal range and they’ll have to punt. Absolutely BRUTAL.
– Another turnover! The Chiefs muff the punt and Sam Womack recovered it at the Chiefs’ 12. That could be a game changer.
– And Garoppolo throws a pick in the end zone. It was not a good throw and San Francisco leaves points on the board again. A Chiefs touchdown here at the end of the half could be the ball game. They’d be up eight and getting the ball after halftime.
– Dre Greenlaw cannot cover Travis Kelce one-on-one.
– 49ers defense is getting flambeed. Kansas City is averaging 8.7 yards per play.
– Ambry Thomas got Mossed by Juju Smith-Schuster for a gain of 20. Thomas is in for the injured Deommodore Lenoir.
– Mahomes nearly threw a pick-six to Hufanga, but Fred Warner tipped it.
– A low block call on Chiefs RB Jerick McKinnon nullifies a touchdown, and then Kansas City misses a 39-yard field goal. That’s how the half will end, and it’s a huge break for the 49ers.
Halftime: Chiefs 14, 49ers 13
Third quarter
– 49ers special teams gives up another long kick return to open the half. That unit has been abysmal all year, and Jauan Jennings hit the returner late to tack 15 yards on. Giving Kansas City the ball in 49ers territory is how they lose.
– Touchdown, KC. A 16-yard run this time. It’s 21-13, and San Francisco has no answers on the ground.
– The life has been sucked out of Levi’s Stadium. A McCaffrey run goes nowhere. Samuel drops a throw that was slightly behind him to bring up third-and-10.
– Another penalty. This is an abysmal showing from the 49ers on that front. They look entirely unprepared.
– Another field goal from Gould makes it 21-16, KC. Field goals aren’t going to do it.
– The Chiefs are dominating on first down. Still living in second-and-short.
– Mahomes got drilled as he was throwing and still completed a pass to Kelce for 18 yards. This one feels over. The 49ers defense has no answers.
– The 49ers give up a third-and-20 and KC scores one play later. This game is cooked. 28-16, Chiefs.
– Mike McGlinchey is having the worst game of his career. He was called for a hold that nullified a huge pickup for Aiyuk and the 49ers are behind the sticks again.
– Another long play nullified by holding.
End of third quarter: Chiefs 28, 49ers 16
Fourth quarter
– A drop from Jeff Wilson would’ve gone for a touchdown in the red zone early in the fourth. That’s another example of the 49ers getting in their own way.
– Kittle touchdown on a nice contested catch. Garoppolo put it up where only his TE would have a play. Nice job to punch it in in a big spot. It’s 28-23, Chiefs with 14:16 left. That drive was eight plays, 75 yards and took 4:15 off the clock with the quarter break in between. Long rest for a 49ers defense that badly needs a stop.
– There’s Nick Bosa. His first sack of the day puts Kansas City behind the sticks.
– Charvarius Ward got cooked on third-and-11 for 57 yards. Yikes.
– Dre Greenlaw is out with a calf injury. His replacement Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles whiffed a tackle in the red zone that put Kansas City inside the 5.
– Another Hardman rushing score. Ball game. 35-23, Chiefs.
– Safety for good measure. Garoppolo just got run down trying to roll out of the pocket. It’s 37-23, KC.
– 45-yard TD for good measure. 44-23, and this is thoroughly embarrassing for San Francisco. They’ve earned it, at least.
– Brock Purdy is in at QB.
Final score: Chiefs 44, 49ers 23
