Chiefs At 49ers: Point Spread, Storylines, Prediction And More

The two-time defending champion Kansas City Chiefs head to Northern California to take on the San Francisco 49ers in the biggest game on the NFL Week 7 slate.

This is a rematch of February’s Super Bowl that saw Patrick Mahomes lead the Chiefs from yet another 10-point deficit to defeat the 49ers in overtime. It’s the second time in the past half-decade that the Chiefs have accomplished this feat against San Francisco in the big game.

Mahomes and Co. head into Sunday’s affair at 5-o on the season. They join the Minnesota Vikings as the only undefeated teams remaining in the NFL.

The homestanding 49ers are coming off a much-needed road win against the Seattle Seahawks. Though, they are a mere 3-3 on the season. A big win at home against Kansas City would help San Francisco overcome an inconsistent start to the season.

Here, I preview the Chiefs at 49ers with a look at the point spread, game information and some top storylines. I will also provide a final prediction at the end.

Chiefs-49ers Preview: Point Spread, TV Information And More

• Date: Sunday, October 20
• Time: 4:25 PM ET
• TV: FOX
• Point Spread: 49ers (-1.5)

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Top Storylines For Kansas City Chiefs, San Francisco 49ers Matchup

There is a whole heck of a lot to look at here. Brock Purdy going up against Patrick Mahomes. The 49ers attempting to exact some sort of revenge for February’s brutal loss in the Super Bowl.

Kansas City is 5-0 on the season and looking like the team to beat in the AFC once again. San Francisco has not played its best football as of yet. That includes some breakdowns on defense. These are among the top storylines for Sunday’s game.

Brock Purdy Against Patrick Mahomes

The two played pretty darn good football in Super Bowl LVIII. Purdy completed 23-of-38 passes for 255 yards with a touchdown and zero interceptions. Mahomes countered with nearly 400 total yards of offense and two touchdowns.

However, it was Mahomes that had the last laugh. He led the Chiefs down the field on a game-winning touchdown drive in overtime after Purdy and the 49ers’ offense had to settle for a field goal to open the final stanza. Said drive was capped off by a two-yard touchdown pass from Mahomes to wide receiver Mecole Hardman.

Thus far this season, an argument can be made that Purdy is actually playing better football than Mahomes. He’s completing 65 percent of his passes for 1,629 yards with nine touchdowns and four interceptions. That’s good enough for a 100.5 QB rating. Purdy also leads the NFL in yards per completion and air yards per completion.

As for Mahomes, he’s completing 69 percent of his passes, but the reigning MVP has also thrown just six touchdowns compared to as many interceptions in five games.

“Everyone says 'down year' just because their numbers aren’t crazy, but Pat’s as good as it gets,” Shanahan told reporters on Wednesday. “He’s been as good as it gets since the first year he got to play. All the games this season except for one have come down to the last possession.”

Shanahan knows better than any opposing coach when it comes to Mahomes and the Chiefs. Losing two of the past five Super Bowls to this team will do that. Whether Mahomes can break from his early-season “struggles” against the 49ers will be one of the top storylines come Sunday afternoon inside Levi’s Stadium.

Statement Game For The San Francisco 49ers

There is a reason why Fox did not allow this game to be scheduled for Sunday Night Football. The network wanted it all to themselves. As of this point in the season, it is the biggest game on the NFL schedule.

For the 49ers, making a statement would be two-fold. They are tied atop the NFC West with a 3-3 record. A win here would lay claim to dominance over that division moving forward. More so than that, handing the Chiefs their first loss of the season would lend credibility to the idea that San Francisco is still a legitimate title contender.

This is a start to a brutal stretch for the 49ers, including a Week 8 home date with the rival Dallas Cowboys. After their Week 9 bye, the 49ers then visit the Tampa Bay Buccaneers before heading home in a matchup versus the Seattle Seahawks. A two-game road trip follows that, with consecutive matchups against the Green Bay Packers and Buffalo Bills. More so than this being a statement game for the 49ers, it might be a must-win.

Kansas City Chiefs Wide Receiver Situation

Star young wide receiver Rashee Rice is lost for the season due to a knee injury. This impacts and already thin wide receiver room in Kansas City. Rice had caught 24-of-29 targets in four games before being injured. That followed up a rookie season in which the embattled youngster tallied 79 receptions for 938 yards.

With Rice sidelined, Mahomes will be relying on a whole host of receivers to step up. Kansas City will also likely make a play for a receiver ahead of the Nov. 5 NFL trade deadline.

For now, the onus is going to be on rookie first-round pick Xavier Worthy. The record-setting speedster has caught 12 passes for 179 yards in five games. He’s a threat to take it the distance on every play. Given how many big plays the 49ers have yielded on defense this season, it’s certainly something to watch.

Final Prediction For Chiefs At 49ers

I like the 49ers to maintain home-field advantage in this one. While Kansas City is coming off a bye itself, the 49ers also have a few more days to work with after their Thursday night win over the Seattle Seahawks. Both teams should be fully rested heading into this one.

I’ll take it a bit further with my prediction. Brock Purdy will lead San Francisco down the field for a game-winning touchdown after Mahomes gives the Chiefs the lead earlier in the fourth quarter.

• 49ers: 27
• Chiefs: 24