Here’s how the Chiefs distributed playing time in Week 7’s win at San Francisco 49ers
The Chiefs out-bullied the bully in Sunday’s 44-23 blowout of the San Francisco 49ers at Levi’s Stadium.
Facing a physical 49ers team that entered the weekend ranked at or near the top of multiple defensive categories, the Chiefs’ offense totaled 529 yards. Kansas City also produced eight explosive plays, defined as 20 or more yards, and averaged 9.1 yards per play.
Defensively, the Chiefs took it to the 49ers’ offense, totaling five sacks, two interceptions, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery and eight quarterback hits.
It’s no wonder the Chiefs outscored the 49ers by a 30-10 margin in the second half. The Chiefs cruised to victory and improved to 5-2.
All players on the Chiefs’ game-day active roster contributed. Here’s how the Chiefs’ snap counts worked out against the 49ers:
QUARTERBACKS: Patrick Mahomes (58), Chad Henne (6)
Mahomes produced a brilliant game, completing 25 of 34 passes for 423 yards and three touchdowns with an interception for a 132.4 passer rating.
Sunday gave Mahomes his 55th career win out of his first 70 starts. The 55 wins tied Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Ken Stabler for the second-most wins by a quarterback in their first 70 starts in NFL history.
Mahomes gave way to Henne late in the fourth quarter. Henne three two passes without a completion.
RUNNING BACKS: Jerick McKinnon (28, 8 on special teams), Isiah Pacheco (19, 13 on ST), Clyde Edwards-Helaire (17), fullback Michael Burton (7, 15 on ST)
Pacheco got his first career start and led the Chiefs in rushing with 43 yards on eight carries. The rookie’s 48-yard kickoff return to start the second half helped energize the Chiefs.
Edwards-Helaire recorded 32 yards rushing and a touchdown on six carries, while McKinnon made a 34-yard catch on a third-and-20 play to set up a Chiefs touchdown.
As a team, the Chiefs produced 112 yards rushing and three touchdowns on 21 carries.
WIDE RECEIVERS: Mecole Hardman (40, 1 on ST), Marquez Valdes-Scantling (35), JuJu Smith-Schuster (35), Skyy Moore (14, 1 on ST), Justin Watson (10), Marcus Kemp (6, 21 on ST)
Hardman enjoyed a hat trick in the end zone, hauling in an 8-yard pass and rushing for two scores on jet-sweeps. He finished with four catches for 32 yards, adding 28 yards on two carries.
Smith-Schuster tallied his second straight 100-yard receiving game, reeling in seven catches for 124 yards and a touchdown on eight targets. His score came on a 45-yard effort.
A week after being shut out of the box score, Valdes-Scantling announced his presence in emphatic fashion with explosive plays down the field. He recorded three catches for 111 yards, averaging a healthy 37 yards per reception.
Sunday marked the 31st time in team history that a pair of teammates recorded at least 100 yards receiving in a single game. The Chiefs are 18-13 in those games.
Watson made good on his one catch by hauling it in for a 4-yard touchdown. Moore was targeted once but didn’t record a reception. He muffed a punt, which the 49ers recovered.
As a returner, Moore now has two muffed punts this season, with the first coming in Week 3’s loss to the Indianapolis Colts. Chiefs coach Andy Reid, however, stands by the rookie.
“I’m not that worried about him.” Reid told reporters after the game.
Kemp, whom the Chiefs elevated from the practice squad, contributed a tackle and assist on special teams.
TIGHT ENDS: Travis Kelce (50), Noah Gray (37, 16 on ST), Jody Fortson (22, 8 on ST)
Kelce totaled six catches for 98 yards and two of his receptions went for 20-plus.
Gray and Fortson each recorded a catch, but their contributions as blockers were notable on all three of Hardman’s scoring plays. Fortson helped seal a hole near the end zone on Hardman’s 8-yard touchdown reception, while Gray led the way down the right sideline on Hardman’s 25-yard touchdown run. The two tight ends then lined up on the left side of the line of scrimmage and sealed the edge on Hardman’s 3-yard scoring run.
Fortson was also on the right edge as a blocker on Edwards-Helaire’s 16-yard touchdown run.
OFFENSIVE LINE: Trey Smith (64, 7 on ST), Joe Thuney (64), Creed Humphrey (58, 7 on ST), Orlando Brown Jr. (58, 7 on ST), Andrew Wylie (58, 7 on ST), Prince Tega Wanogho (6, 7 on ST), Geron Christian (6, 7 on ST), Nick Allegretti (6, 7 on ST)
After two straight shaky games, the Chiefs’ offensive line had a stellar performance against a top defensive unit.
Explosive passing plays happen because Mahomes has time in the pocket, and the quarterback’s arm accounted for seven of the eight big plays Sunday. The 49ers entered the game with 26 total sacks through six games but took down Mahomes just once Sunday.
The front five also helped the Chiefs’ running game top 100 yards.
DEFENSIVE LINE: Chris Jones (59), Frank Clark (55), George Karlaftis (51, 5 on ST), Carlos Dunlap (46), Khalen Saunders (34, 5 on ST), Derrick Nnadi (30, 5 on ST), Malik Herring (26, 4 on ST), Taylor Stallworth (14)
Of the Chiefs’ five sacks in the game, the defensive line accounted for four. Jones was a disruptive force, tallying two, including a strip-sack; Clark had 1.5 sacks, including a safety; and Saunders split a sack with Clark.
Dunlap had a quarterback hit and batted down a pass at the line of scrimmage, while Herring recovered a fumble.
LINEBACKERS: Nick Bolton (69, 5 on ST), Willie Gay Jr. (44), Darius Harris (17, 6 on ST), Leo Chenal (16, 21 on ST), Jack Cochrane (16 on ST)
Bolton paced the linebackers group with nine tackles, including one for a loss, and a quarterback hit.
Gay made his return to action after serving a four-game suspension and was all over the field. He finished with eight tackles, a half-sack and a quarterback hit.
DEFENSIVE BACKS: Juan Thornhill (79), Justin Reid (71, 6 on ST), Jaylen Watson (71), L’Jarius Sneed (69), Joshua Williams (63, 8 on ST), Bryan Cook (25, 15 on ST), Chris Lammons (11, 21 on ST), Dicaprio Bootle (10, 7 on ST), Deon Bush (9, 20 on ST)
Thornhill had himself with a game, totaling a team-high 11 tackles, an interception and two passes defensed.
Reid made seven tackles and Sneed totaled six tackles and a half-sack. Williams produced a tackle, an interception and a team-high three passes defensed.
Kansas City’s pass coverage did a good job of limiting 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel to just 42 yards receiving on five catches.
The Chiefs’ collective effort helped snap a three-game streak of allowing 100-yard games to opposing No. 1 wide receivers (Mike Evans in Week 4, Davante Adams in Week 5, Stefon Diggs in Week 6).
SPECIALISTS: Harrison Butker (14), Tommy Townsend (8), James Winchester (8)
Butker converted six extra points and missed a 39-yard field goal attempt, which is normally a chip-shot for him.
With the offense humming and scoring touchdowns, Townsend wasn’t needed much. He finished with one punt for 33 yards, which pinned the 49ers inside their own 20-yard line.
INACTIVES: Cornerback Rashad Fenton (hamstring), defensive end Mike Danna (calf), running back Ronald Jones, quarterback Shane Buechele, offensive lineman defensive end Joshua Kaindoh, offensive lineman Darian Kinnard, defensive back Nazeeh Johnson.
