Chiefs report card against the 49ers: Special teams, coaching gets D’s
First quarter
Key play: Alex Smith hit Junior Hemingway for a 10-yard gain on third and 3 from the Chiefs’ 48, sustaining the game-opening, 81-yard touchdown drive.
Key stat: The Chiefs converted all five of their third-down opportunities in the quarter.
Second quarter
Key play: Niners receiver Anquan Boldin ran away from Chiefs cornerback Chris Owens for a 27-yard reception on a third and 5 from the San Francisco 23.
Key stat: San Francisco’s 93-yard drive was the longest against the Chiefs this season.
Third quarter
Key play: Rookie De’Anthony Thomas caught a pass in the flat and turned it into a 17-yard touchdown in his first NFL game.
Key stat: Thomas’ first two touches as a pro produced a 28-yard punt return and 17-yard TD.
Fourth quarter
Key play: Craig Dahl picked up a first down on a fake punt in the fourth quarter, keeping alive the 49ers’ go-ahead drive.
Key stat: The 49ers had the ball for 13 minutes, 15 seconds of the fourth quarter, mainly due to the fake punt and a penalty for 12 men on the field.
Player of the game: Niners kicker Phil Dawson, the oldest player on the field at 39, showed he still has plenty of leg. He made all five of his field-goal attempts, including 55- and 52-yarders.
Reason to hope: The Chiefs are almost through the tough six-game stretch to open the season, and they’re still alive and kicking. If they can steal a win at San Diego after the bye, they’ll get to 3-3, with six of their last 10 games at home.
Reason to mope: The schedule is still fraught with danger, with games against Seattle and Denver at home and trips to San Diego, Arizona and Pittsburgh.
Looking ahead: The Chiefs will have a week off before traveling to San Diego for what shapes up to be a key AFC West game.
Randy Covitz, rcovitz@kcstar.com
Report card
B | Rush offense | Jamaal Charles ran well early against the NFL’s second-ranked defense against the run, and his 26-yard run contributed to a third-quarter touchdown. The Chiefs had just 50 plays to the 49ers’ 70, so there wasn’t much chance to get Knile Davis involved. |
C | Pass offense | Alex Smith was dependent on secondary receivers such as Junior Hemingway and tight ends Anthony Fasano and Travis Kelce, and the Chiefs couldn’t hit the big one. Smith converted some big third downs early but averaged just 5.6 yards per pass play, with a long of just 18 to Dwayne Bowe and 17-yarders to Hemingway and De’Anthony Thomas. |
C- | Rush defense | Outside of a crunching hit on Frank Gore by Tamba Hali on third and 1 in the fourth quarter, the Chiefs had troubles containing Gore and Carlos Hyde. Gore ran for 107 yards and a 5.9-yard average despite the absence of right tackle Anthony Davis. Gore chewed up 39 yards in the fourth quarter and moved the chains when the Chiefs needed the ball. |
C | Pass defense | The pass rush made things difficult for Colin Kaepernick in the second half, especially when they sacked him three times in a span of five plays. But even without star tight end Vernon Davis, Kaepernick found Anquan Boldin and Blue Springs native Brandon Lloyd for some back-breaking plays. And for the fourth time in five games, the Chiefs failed to intercept a pass. |
D | Special teams | Punter Dustin Colquitt did his part in controlling field position, and Thomas returned a punt 28 yards on his first professional touch of the ball. But the fake punt by the 49ers and the penalty for too many men on the field on the 49ers’ 54-yard field-goal attempt were inexcusable. |
D | Coaching | Andy Reid had his offense clicking early, but it didn’t have the ball much in the second half. A big part of that was because of the two special-teams penalties, something that just can’t happen against a quality team on the road. Reid also opted to pass on a pair of third-and-1s instead of handing off to Charles or Davis for the sure gain. |
This story was originally published October 5, 2014 at 8:05 PM with the headline "Chiefs report card against the 49ers: Special teams, coaching gets D’s."