The Chiefs just thumped the San Francisco 49ers: Check out our grades (and the stats)
The Chiefs are headed to the bye with wind in their sails after Sunday’s 44-23 victory over the San Francisco 49ers.
With 529 total yards and three touchdown passes from Patrick Mahomes, the Chiefs had their most productive game this season.
Here’s the report card from their big win in California.
KC STAR OF THE GAME
Mecole Hardman picked up his first regular-season rushing touchdown, and then he got his second later in the game. He’d never had a multiple touchdown game, and on Sunday he scored three.
All the scoring plays came as he went in motion across the field. A short flip from Patrick Mahomes produced the touchdown. The two runs were jet sweeps from the 25 and 3, with the longer run set up with a great block from Noah Gray.
Sunday ranks among the best games of Hardman’s four-year career.
Next: The Chiefs have their bye in Week 8, which means including the preseason they’ll have played 10 games with 10 to go. The next game is a Sunday Night Football encounter with the Tennessee Titans at GEHA Field at Arrowhead at 7:20 p.m. Nov. 6. The game will be broadcast by NBC.
REPORT CARD
Passing offense: A
The game started like last week’s loss to the Buffalo Bills, with a Mahomes interception. This one was mostly a bad decision and resulted in a 49ers field goal. The day got much better for Mahomes, who finished with 423 yards, the fifth highest total of his career.
A couple of chef’s-kiss plays: How about the 34-yard screen pass to Jerrick McKinnon on third-and-20? Great call and execution, and the 57-yard bomb to Marquez Valdez-Scantling on third-and-11 deserves praise, too.
Mahomes finished with the fifth-highest passing total of his career — 423 yards. Touchdowns went to Hardman, Justin Watson and JuJu Smith-Schuster.
The Chiefs’ receiving totals were stout: Smith-Schuster 124 yards, Valdez-Scantling 111 and Travis Kelce 98. Kelce would have topped 100 but he dropped a screen pass in final minutes on his last target.
All of this against a 49ers team ranked first in total defense and second in scoring defense entering the game.
Rushing offense: A
Isiah Pacheco got his first start this season. Clyde Edwards-Helaire had started each each of the first six games. Pacheco finished with a team-high 40 yards.
The blocking was superb on Edwards-Helaire’s 16-yard touchdown run to open the second half. He wasn’t touched until about the 5.
The Chiefs finished with 112 rushing yards and three touchdowns.
Passing defense: B
Rookie Joshua Williams had good timing on his first interception. The 49ers were on the 5 after Skyy Moore’s muffed punt. Williams grabbed Jimmy Garoppolo’s floater at the goal line, preventing a score.
The Chiefs collected five sacks, with Chris Jones getting two. Willie Gay, in his first action since a four-game suspension, got his first sack.
Then there was the dream scenario for a defensive player, a sack-safety. Frank Clark blindsided Garoppolo in the end zone in the fourth quarter to increase the lead to 37-23.
Rushing defense: B
All of a sudden the Chiefs were faced with a Christian McCaffrey problem. He joined the 49ers late in the week and there was no phase-in. McCaffrey was in on the third play and ran effectively. He gained 38 rushing yards and another 24 receiving. The 49ers were outgained on the ground 112-101.
Overall, it was a solid day for the Chiefs’ pass and rush defense.
Special teams: C
What a sequence in the late stages of the first half. On a 49ers field-goal attempt, the Chiefs tricked the kicking team into an illegal procedure penalty. That brought on the 49ers punt team, but Moore mishandled the kick to put San Francisco at the 10. But Williams’ interception ended that possession, and the Chiefs motored into field goal range (only to have Harrison Butker miss a 39-yarder).
Other highs and lows: Pacheco’s 48-yard kickoff return to open the second half set up a short-field touchdown. ... Jody Fortson picked up a holding penalty on a kickoff return. ... Marcus Kemp, activated from the practice squad this week, turned in a terrific kickoff-teams tackle.
This story was originally published October 23, 2022 at 6:42 PM.