49ers try again to solve Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs

Of course the 49ers want another shot at the Kansas City Chiefs, a replay of the Super Bowl in Las Vegas on what turned into a forgettable February afternoon for San Francisco.

The Chiefs are chasing a three-peat and are off to a 5-0 start, stringing together 11 consecutive wins dating to last Christmas through the postseason. Inarguably their greatest win in that batch was the 25-22 overtime victory in which the Chiefs overcame a 10-point deficit and captured the Lombardi Trophy in Super Bowl LVIII.

San Francisco is 3-3 after taking head coach Kyle Shanahan termed a "must win" in his locker room before an NFC West grudge match at Seattle on Oct. 10. He is not going quite that far this week, but there is no denying how important the 49ers believe Sunday could be to their 2024 season.

"I try to have the same conversation every week, just word it a little differently -- I never want to say 'must win,'" Shanahan said. "I see this game like I see all games. Every game matters. But I didn't choose those words (must win) this week."

While the 49ers are relatively rested from a 10-day window between games and want the rematch, the timing of rolling out the red carpet for the NFL's crownbearer isn't entirely perfect. Kansas City had last week off.

Chiefs coach Andy Reid owns the NFL's highest winning percentage coming out of a bye week. He is 21-4 (.840), including an 8-3 record coming out of a bye week in the regular season with Kansas City.

In addition, the Niners aren't exactly a picture of health. They are still without 2023 NFL Offensive Player of the Year Christian McCaffrey, and his backup, Jordan Mason, the No. 2 rusher in the NFL this season, left last week's game with a sprained shoulder.

Also, 49ers wide receiver Jauan Jennings (hip) and kicker Jake Moody (right ankle sprain) did not practice Wednesday. Wideout Deebo Samuel Sr. (wrist) was limited.

Defensive end Mike Danna (pectoral) was the lone regular who didn't practice out of the bye for the Chiefs.

Shanahan said shifts in scheme have been common in matchups with the Chiefs, altering tendencies on offense and defense in the fourth quarter particularly. The bottom line for all opponents trying to solve Kansas City is beating quarterback Patrick Mahomes.

"Everyone says 'down year' because their numbers aren't just crazy. But Pat's as good as it gets," said Shanahan, who is 0-7 in his career against Reid as an assistant or head coach. "He's been as good as it gets since the first year he got to play. All of their games except for one has come down to the last possession, and he's as good as it gets in that situation."

Shanahan's record vs. Reid includes two defeats in 49ers-Chiefs Super Bowl matchups. Kansas City beat San Francisco 31-20 in February 2020.

Injuries are not an excuse the Chiefs are introducing. Though refreshed after a week off, Kansas City is far from full strength with 12 games to go in the regular season.

The Chiefs head West without No. 1 running back Isiah Pacheco (leg) and the team's top two wide receivers Hollywood Brown (shoulder) and Rashee Rice (knee), who are all on injured reserve. Familiar faces rejoined the Chiefs in recent weeks and now find themselves in prominent roles alongside Mahomes. Kareem Hunt is working as the top running back again for the Chiefs, and Kansas City rediscovered JuJu Smith-Schuster, signed off the street in August, in a seven-catch, 130-yard effort in Week 5 vs. New Orleans.

The depth-chart roulette also invited Mahomes to reconnect with Travis Kelce. The tight end has 16 catches for 159 yards in the past two games, a major part of the Mahomes mentality not to lament who isn't available for a given game.

"I'm just excited for the guys who continue to get better each and every week," Mahomes said. "I think we've got the guys to do it."

The offensive numbers are relatively modest to start this season from Mahomes' best statistical seasons. He has as many TDs (six) as INTs in 2024. Kansas City enters the week 15th in scoring (23.6 per game), ninth in passing (236.8 yards per game) and 11th in total offense (354.6 yards per game).

Reid said avoiding penalties and turnovers was an emphasis after a self-scout during the bye week.

"We can do a better job of not stopping ourselves with things," Reid said. "Whether it's penalties or dropped balls, we've had a couple of those. Schematically, we go back and we hammer through that. We can help out the guys in some of the areas, too, just putting them in a little bit better position."

The 49ers are thriving even with an evolving cast, averaging 27 points (ninth in the league), 420 total yards (second), 262 passing yards (second) and 158 rushing yards (third) entering Week 7. And only four teams have fewer defensive takeaways than the Chiefs (four).

However, as 49ers linebacker Fred Warner painfully framed this week, Mahomes has never lost to the 49ers. He is 4-0 with 1,356 pass yards (339 per contest), 11 TDs (10 pass, one rush) with a combined passer rating of 104.6 when facing San Francisco.

"They still got 15 back there. I have yet to beat him," Warner said. "I have played against him maybe four times now and have yet to beat him. I think it's an important game for us to try and get over that hump and get the win."

With a win Sunday in Santa Clara, Kansas City would become the 10th defending Super Bowl champion to start the following season 6-0. The only times the Chiefs began 6-0 were 2003, when they finished 13-3 but lost in the AFC divisional playoffs, and 2013, when they went 11-5 and fell in an AFC wild-card game.