(Photo: Clutchpoints)
Intriguing Game- NFL, Week Seven
Kansas City Chiefs at San Francisco 49ers
Chiefs: They are 5-0, but I also understand that it hasn’t been the most impressive start. Against the Baltimore Ravens in week one, it came down to one play and the champs escaped by seven points. In week two, they needed a last-second field goal to survive the Cincinnati Bengals and in week three, it was another close game on a Sunday night in Atlanta against the Falcons. I said this yesterday and I’ll repeat it. Who said winning had to be perfect-looking? As long as your team comes out on top with a victory, that’s all that’s important. I saw a post on social media about them not looking the best necessarily and I even replied to the post saying that they are bored around this time of the year. As usual, I will explain what I mean when I say this. I compare the first month or two of the season to the preseason. This may look weird to read, but they truly don’t care about this time of the year which makes me compare them to the Patriots with Tom Brady and Bill Belichick because they were the same way during their run. They’d slide by in games and look shaky at times, but of course, when they looked to be struggling, everyone would write them off and say they were done, then, they’d come along and win many games consecutively. Just as long as everything was clicking during the stretch run in November, December, and of course January in the playoffs, they were fine and I can apply this to the Kansas City Chiefs as well. One thing I do enjoy about this group is they can win games in several ways and on both sides of the football. It’s just not on Patrick to close things out, because the defense can also finish the job and that’s something we couldn’t say years ago. The Chiefs are off the bye and they will meet the defending NFC champs.
49ers: I’ve been trying to figure out one thing. Who are they exactly? Unfortunately, they aren’t the team they were around this time a season ago, They were much healthier at this point in 2023 and the defense was hands down the best in the league. Now, the offense does just enough, and of course, having Christian McCaffrey does make a difference which is why he’s arguably the best Running Back in the league when he’s on the field, but the one thing I’ve come to know about a Kyle Shanahan offense is they can plug in anyone at Running Back to get their carries and they will succeed. When this defense is clicking, they are amongst the best as I mentioned a few sentences ago. This is also the most physical unit in the league and they know how to impose their will on the opponent and bully teams. However, even the physical defenses can be had on any day which leads to my usual saying and that’s “the bully doesn’t like to be bullied”. This year, the 49ers have been pushed around and many teams have attempted to run the football on them due to Dre Greenlaw being out with the injury he suffered in the Super Bowl. Dre is their best run stopper and his presence in the middle of that defense is missed. Just last week, I told Brian Snow that the 49ers should attempt to get Devin White as he’s one of the best run-stoppers in the league. Last week in Seattle was a huge win for them and I’m not going to count them out. I remember in 2022, they were 4-6 after ten games and still made it to the NFC Championship game. On Sunday, they welcome a familiar face to Levi’s.
Chiefs X-Factor: Kareem Hunt– When Isiah Pacheco went down, he was the first name that came to my mind in replacements. Football is all about systematic fits and Kareem played for Andy Reid years ago. He was serviceable back then and has handled the responsibilities of Running Back One now. Against the Saints a few weeks ago, Kareem had 117 yards rushing. When you feed him the football consistently, he will wear down a defense and keep them on their toes because of all the attention the Quarterback commands. The Chiefs have still been able to run the ball and Kareem is the reason why.
49ers X-Factor: Jauan Jennings– On a team where CMC is healthy along with George Kittle, Brandon Aiyuk, and Deebo Samuel, it’s understandable as to why Jauan flies under the radar. He’s a playmaker that moves well to get open and he can go over the top or run over the middle. Jauan sees a ton of single looks and he can work the seam which allows him and Purdy to attack the middle of the field. When you need the chains moved, this is who the 49ers will target. It doesn’t matter what the down or situation is because he is as sure-handed as they come.
Final Thoughts: These two know each other all too well and the last time these two met was in Super Bowl LVIII on Sunday, February 11th, 2024. The 49ers had a ten-point lead and the Chiefs chipped away at it. This was just the second ever Super Bowl to go into overtime and the Chiefs repeated becoming the first team since the Patriots in the 2000s to win back-to-back Super Bowls. More than nine months later, here we are for the rematch. The Chiefs enter this game coming off the bye week and Andy Reid’s track record off the bye is incredible. This is an important game for San Fran and a win could give them confidence moving forward. The biggest key for the 49ers in this game is being able to capitalize in the red zone! This has been a problem with them as they have left way too many points on the table and they settle for three. Scoring against Kansas City is always key because you will not beat this team kicking field goals. Also, can the 49ers pressure Mahomes and stuff the run? For the Chiefs, they will look to find mismatches over the middle of the field to get Kelce the football and as we all know, this is where he’s most dangerous. This is a very opportunistic defense for Kansas City and I expect Spagnuolo to call heavy pressures to affect Brock Purdy. Special Teams and turnovers can be the deciding factor in this game. I like Kansas City to beat the 49ers once again.
Prediction: Chiefs 23, 49ers 21
