San Francisco 49ers: Keys to beating the Chiefs in week three matchup

Garoppolo Must Be On Point

If there’s one thing this team cannot afford, it’s for Jimmy Garoppolo to have an off game. More than likely, this game is going to turn into a shootout, and Garoppolo is going to have to be on point. He’s going to have to lead this offense, stand toe-to-toe with Kansas City’s, and answer every single challenge.

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It’s a tall order to keep up with this juggernaut of an offense the Chiefs have assembled, but the 49ers are going to have to do it. Pittsburgh almost did it last week, trading blows with Kansas City, but they came up just short.

That 42-37 final in Pittsburgh last week just goes to show you though, that against this Chiefs offense, you cannot afford a single bad drive. One bad drive cost Pittsburgh that game. Okay, it was more than that – starting with a horrible defense – but, when it mattered the most, Ben Roethlisberger and his offense couldn’t quite get it done.

Which means that Garoppolo is going to have to be on point from the opening snap to the final whistle. This is a team that’s not going to be able to afford or withstand multiple three-and-outs. Not against an offense that can very literally score on every possession.

Last week, San Francisco’s running game bore a lot of the offensive burden, as they compiled 190 rushing yards. But Garoppolo was efficient, completing 18/26 passes (69 percent) for 206 yards, and a pair of touchdowns.

He was efficient and effective. This week though, Garoppolo and his offense will need to be explosive to keep pace with a Chiefs offense that puts points on the board by the bushel.