The Kansas City Chiefs convincingly won the NFL’s preseason Super Bowl rematch in Week 7 with a score of 28:18 against the San Francisco 49ers, making them the only remaining undefeated team in the league.
Chiefs @ 49ers: At a glance
- Mahomes and Reid’s streak continues and the Chiefs are the only team still undefeated this season.
- Both quarterbacks had a difficult time and ended up with really weak numbers. Nevertheless, Mahomes achieved special things at the right time that were decisive for the game.
- The Niners may have lost another key offensive player to an injury.
Chiefs @ 49ers: Die Analyse
The game started slowly for the Chiefs, whose first attack began with a turnover on downs on a fake punt. Both quarterbacks then threw an interception each and the defenses continued to dictate the game. It wasn’t until the end of the first quarter that the 49ers scored their first points with a 55-yard field goal from new kicker Anders Carslon.
However, the answer didn’t take long to arrive. About five minutes later, Kareem Hunt ran for a 1-yard touchdown. The Niners had previously committed three penalties in the red zone. The Chiefs then managed another stop and Mecole Hardman carried the following punt over 55 yards to the home team’s 30-yard line. Less later, Hunt ran for his second touchdown of the game.
The Niners only managed one more field goal before halftime. After the break, the home team came out of the locker room without Brandon Aiyuk, who had a knee injury, but with momentum. As head coach Kyle Shanahan subsequently explained, the receiver is suspected of suffering a torn ACL, which would end his season.
Mahomes threw a second interception to Deommodore Lenoir, who capitalized on a gaffe by Xavier Worthy. The 49ers took advantage of the gift and then scored their first touchdown.
Purdy finished from the 1 with a QB sneak that pulled a guard outside as a misdirection, creating a huge gap up the middle. However, the extra point after that went wrong, leaving the home team at 12:14.
Purdy’s interception too much for 49ers
San Francisco then kept its foot on the gas, forced another punt and was on the verge of getting within striking distance again. But Purdy, who was also without an ill Deebo Samuel at this point in the game, threw another interception while attempting a pass to Ronnie Bell. The Chiefs took over at their own 21 and marched.
The key to the drive was a remarkable 33-yard scramble by Mahomes that ended at the 4. A little later, Mahomes ran from the 1 into the end zone. The Niners’ biggest mistake in this series and often in the game – again against KC – was that the edge defenders were too aggressive and didn’t establish the edge. That left room for Mahomes to break out of the pocket, especially since there was no QB spy in sight.
The Niners’ supposed last sign of life was a red zone drive, which ended with Purdy’s third interception in the end zone. In return, the Chiefs took a lot of time off the clock before Hardman ran a jet sweep for an 18-yard touchdown. In return, the Niners managed another touchdown via a Purdy sneak, but with only 1:08 minutes left on the clock and a failed attempt for two points, the game was ultimately over.
The Chiefs are the only remaining undefeated team in the NFL after the Vikings’ earlier defeat.
Kansas City Chiefs (5-0) @ San Francisco 49ers (3-4)
Result: 28:18 (0:3, 14:3, 0:6, 14:6) BOXSCORE
Chiefs @ 49ers: Key stats
- With this win, Andy Reid is now 22-4 coming off a bye week. Mahomes, on the other hand, is now 5-0 against the 49ers (including playoffs).
- Mahomes is now 8-6 when throwing at least two interceptions in a game. Purdy, on the other hand, is now 0-5 in this discipline.
- Mahomes finished this game with a passer rating of 44.4 – the worst rating in a game of his career. Purdy’s 36.7 rating was his second-worst of his young career.
- Despite the overall weak performance of the offense, the Chiefs scored their most points in 16 games with 28 points.
The star of the game: Secondary (Chiefs)
There was no brilliant game plan or exotic disguises in the coverage. It was relatively simple man coverage that the Niners played. But against the Niners’ weakened receiving corps, it was exactly the right approach.
The flop of the game: Brock Purdy (quarterback, 49ers)
Purdy never found a rhythm and made a lot of mistakes. He, who usually throws into fairly open passing windows, had noticeable problems getting the ball into narrow windows this time. And that made it difficult for him and his offense – even though he hardly saw any pressure and only received one sack.
Analysis: Chiefs @ 49ers – that stood out tactically
- Coverage was a big theme in this game. As usual under Steve Spagnuolo, the Chiefs relied a lot on tight man coverage, which started close to the line. And the Niners receivers and Purdy noticeably had problems with it. Purdy hardly found any open passing windows and therefore had a passing rate that remained below what was statistically expected.
- Offensively, at the latest after Smith-Schuster’s thigh injury, the Chiefs mainly played with 12 personnel, i.e. with two tight ends. Of course, this also helped with run blocking, but more importantly, it often gave them a completely open Noah Gray as everything was focused on Travis Kelce, who often found himself facing double coverage.
- The Niners usually played zone coverage, but also tried man in the beginning, which gave Mahomes space to run and was cut back accordingly.
Source: www.sport.de
