NFL Game of the Week: Kansas City Chiefs vs. San Francisco 49ers

Week 7 of the NFL season brings about a rematch from the 2024 Super Bowl as the Kansas City Chiefs head to Santa Clara, California to play the San Francisco 49ers at Levi’s Stadium.

Brock Purdy and the 49ers will be seeking revenge against Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs for Kansas City’s 25-22 victory in the big game last season.

The Chiefs, who come off a bye, enter this one as the AFC’s only undefeated team, but it’s a very iffy 5-0, as a couple of plays went in their favor in their games against the Cincinnati Bengals and the Atlanta Falcons.

Mahomes comes into this game with no dominant performances in 2024, but he threw for a season-high 331 yards in the Chiefs’ Week 5 victory against the New Orleans Saints on Monday Night Football.

Amid the trade action in the wide receiver market, the Chiefs have decided to stand pat for now with their receiver group, which has been decimated by injuries to Marquise “Hollywood” Brown and Rashee Rice.

JuJu Smith-Schuster, now in his second stint with the Chiefs, caught seven passes for 130 yards against the Saints.

Smith-Schuster is the most likely candidate to replace Rice for now, but he’ll face a tough matchup against 49ers slot cornerback Deommodore Lenior.

The 49ers are weaker against outside receivers, so it’s time for Justin Watson and first-round rookie Xavier Worthy to step up for Mahomes.

Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce will be matched up against 49ers star linebacker Fred Warner in coverage, and Kelce caught nine passes for 93 yards in the 2024 Super Bowl.

With running back Isiah Pacheco still on IR for the Chiefs, Kareem Hunt rushed for 102 yards and a touchdown against the Saints, but he’ll have a harder matchup against the 49ers’ seventh-ranked rush defense.

The Chiefs’ offensive line has had its ups and downs, and tackles Wanya Morris and Jawaan Taylor will have their hands full with Nick Bosa on the edge.

The 49ers defeated the Seattle Seahawks on Thursday Night Football in Week 6 and had a semi-bye, which may matter compared to the Chiefs’ full bye.

Purdy threw for 255 yards and three touchdowns against a tough Seahawks defense, and he’ll have a better matchup against a defense that sacks quarterbacks at the fourth-worst rate in football compared to Seattle’s seventh-ranked sack rate.

San Francisco’s injuries have held them back, and it may be the case again against the Chiefs.

49ers running back Jordan Mason, who has filled in admirably for the injured Christian McCaffrey, the 2023 NFL Offensive Player of the Year, may be out with a shoulder injury.

If Mason is out, rookie fourth-rounder Isaac Guerendo and Patrick Taylor Jr. will share the San Francisco workload.

The 49ers’ wide receivers, Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel, face a scenario against Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spanguolo, who usually double-teams the opponent’s main threat.

Since Aiyuk is the more prototypical receiver, he would likely be double-teamed, which would open up a lot of opportunities for Samuel, or the two could face no double-teams at all considering their talent levels.

Either way, tight end George Kittle is set up for a big game against a Chiefs defense that has struggled versus tight ends this season, which wasn’t the case in 2023.

The 49ers’ offensive line will have to watch out for disruptive Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones, but maybe rookie third-round guard Dominick Puni, who has settled in well, can be an X-factor against him.

As for San Francisco’s kickers, they may be down to their third-stringer with Jake Moody already on the shelf due to a high ankle sprain.

Matthew Wright, who went 3-for-3 on field goals in relief against the Seahawks, suffered a shoulder injury, so the 49ers signed Anders Carlson to their practice squad as a healthy option.

This game will air nationally at 4:25 p.m. EST on FOX and stream on FoxSports.com and the Fox Sports app.

Owen Klein is a third-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email ojk5092@psu.edu.