The Kansas City Chiefs

49ers vs Chiefs Preview: What to watch for in Week 7

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The 49ers bounced back with a big divisional win in Week 6, now looking to avenge its’ Super Bowl LVIII loss to the Chiefs.

The San Francisco 49ers return to Levi’s Stadium for a clash with the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 7. SF knows this opponent very well, having faced coach Andy Reid and quarterback Patrick Mahome sin t0e of the last five Super Bowls. Both those games ended in heartbreak for the Red & Gold, looking to turn a new leaf in 2024.

KC and SF have a short history, but one that is evenly matched. The visitors hold the advantage all-time at 9-7, winning the past four clashes. The 49ers have not beaten the Chiefs since 2014.

Can a showdown on familiar ground help turn the tide for SF? Or, will KC stay undefeated and roll over its’ opponent once more? Here are a few keys to Week 7 for the 49ers.

The Debut of Ricky Pearsall

Exactly 49 days removed from being a victim of a gunshot wound to the chest, wide receiver Ricky Pearsall will be activated for the 49ers.

The 2024 first-round pick is set to make his NFL debut in Week 7 against KC. The 49ers expected a longer ramp-up for the Arizona native after his practice window was opened to start the week. Instead, he impressed in only a few practices, making the decision inevitable that he’d be ready to go this Sunday.

“The guys are pumped,” 49ers’ coach Kyle Shanahan said about Pearsall Friday. “It’s been great to see him out there. I think the guys were more real happy for him that he could get back and be a part of it. He’s had a hell of a week and we’re just pumped to get him out there with us.”

What exactly will be his role in Game 1 is a different question.

Don’t expect the 49ers to throw him into the fire and play a majority of the snaps against the Chiefs. Instead, expect Pearsall to be worked into the offense gradually. That could also mean a spell or two on special teams as the kick/punt returner.

Nevertheless, it’s miraculous that the first-round rookie is back on the field only six weeks removed from a horrifying incident. That’s the real headline here.

Expect a hero’s welcome for Ricky Pearsall on Sunday, with the notion of a thunderous introduction to The Faithful likely going on tap. Everything else football-related is the cherry on top.

Expectations will come as he gets more accustomed in-season. But for now, let’s enjoy the moment, as the return of the rookie has sparked an emotional upheaval in the 49ers’ locker room.

Beat The Press

Pressure makes diamonds right? Well not in the 49ers’ case, cracking under the Chiefs’ relentless pursuit.

KC has had the SF’s number in recent years, partially because of the defense. DC Steve Spagnoulo has been dialing up the heat against quarterback Brock Purdy, sending the blitz on over 50% of his dropbacks during Super Bowl LVIII.

The Chiefs have been know for its’ cover 0 approach to defense, blitzing about 35% in 2024. Because of that, Purdy will have his hands full trying to decipher Spag’s defense.

“They’re going to come in with their scheme and try to dial some things up against us, and so are we. And so for us it’s going in, it’s being dialed in every play with whatever the situation is and playing our standard and our way of football,” Purdy said.

The 49ers’ metrics against the pressure seem to vary game-to-game. SF struggled Week 2 in Minnesota. Vikings’ DC Brian Flores had the 49ers’ offense and Purdy running around all afternoon.

Against other DCs, they’ve had success. Week 3 of the 2023 season was a prime example, throwing for 310 air yards against Wink Martindale’s blitz-happy scheme.

To each their own as they say, but the 49ers know that if it wants to have success against KC, winning against the blitz will be the key to it.

“If we could just do our job really well, I think everything will fall into place how it needs to,” the QB added. “We’re a really good team if we can do that…I know all the guys in the locker room are doing the same thing. We’ve just got to be ready for all the situations and be on top of our plays and our answers within the game.”

That, and converting inside the redzone, are keys to the 49ers’ offense controlling Week 7 against the Chiefs.

It’s Not About Payback

It’s been more than eight months since the 49ers suffered another Super Bowl collapse to the Chiefs. And while the memories are hard to forget, Week 7’s clash isn’t about getting revenge for the heartbreaks of past squads.

“When you think about the reality of it, we can beat them by 100 [and] we’re not popping champagne, confetti’s not going to fall,” left tackle Trent Williams said about the matchup Thursday. “It can never be an even or a payback situation, so why even carry that grudge?

“Football is 90 percent mental, 10 percent physical. If your mind is clouded with stuff that has nothing to do with Sunday, you run the risk of not being everything you want to be.”

At least to the media, the 49ers are portraying a stoic approach to its’ Super Bowl LVIII opponent this week. To them, Week 7 is about SF, not the Chiefs. To the 49ers, this is about stacking wins together to potentially be 5-3 entering its’ Week 9 Bye.

Even if the headlines favor the idea of two titans facing each other once more, this is a new year, and a new season.

“That was the Super Bowl. Obviously we wanted to win and it didn’t go our way,” Purdy added. “Now it’s 2024, a regular-season game. It’s the next opponent for us. This is the 2024 Niners going against the 2024 Chiefs.”

But, the memories of heartbreak and anguish still linger with a large majority of the roster.

Even if the players won’t say it, this matchup means more to them than other contests. The 49ers haven’t beaten the Chiefs in a decade, seen as its’ final boogeyman of the NFL heriarchy.

It’s hard to pick the Red & Gold when Chiefs’ Kingdom has had the advantage for so long.

For that reason, this journalist isn’t taking the home side this Sunday; I need to see it with my own two eyes before I can believe it.

Maybe the third time is the charm however, and the 49ers will pass the final litmus test of NFL supremacy. Because they aren’t putting too much pressure on themselves this time around.

“I do a pretty good job of flushing stuff. Flushing Super Bowl losses? Not the easiest thing to do,” tight end George Kittle said. “If you let stuff linger and you let stuff effect you like that, you can’t be the player that you want to be. I just try my best to tune out whatever noise is being said on the outside.

“Coach Shanahan had a really good team meeting the other day. It’s like, ‘you can’t live in the past. You can’t look into the future. You have to just look for the moment at what you’re in now.’ This is a different game, a lot of similar players but technically a different team. We’re a different team a little bit, too.”

Score Prediction: 49ers 17, Chiefs 24

49ers Week 7 Injury Report

Out:

WR Jauan Jennings (hip)

K Jake Moody (right ankle)

K Matthew Wright (shoulder/back – IR)

Questionable:

DT Kevin Givens (groin)

CB Darrell Luter Jr. (pelvis)

Good to Go:

RB Jordan Mason (shoulder)

WR Deebo Samuel (wrist)

San Francisco 49ers 2024 Schedule:

Regular Season

  • Sunday, October 20th vs. Kansas City Chiefs [SB LVIII Rematch]– 1:25 pm PDT
  • Sunday, October 27th vs. Dallas Cowboys [SNF] – 5:20 pm PDT
  • Week 9 Bye Week
  • Sunday, November 10th @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers – 10 am PDT
  • Sunday, November 17th vs. Seattle Seahawks – 1:05 pm PDT

 

 

 

 

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