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

SANTA CLARA, CA - SEPTEMBER 16: Cassius Marsh #54 of the San Francisco 49ers reacts after he recovered a fumble by Matthew Stafford #9 of the Detroit Lions at Levi's Stadium on September 16, 2018 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
SANTA CLARA, CA - SEPTEMBER 16: Cassius Marsh #54 of the San Francisco 49ers reacts after he recovered a fumble by Matthew Stafford #9 of the Detroit Lions at Levi's Stadium on September 16, 2018 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
5 of 6
Next
San Francisco 49ers
SANTA CLARA, CA – SEPTEMBER 16: Jimmy Garoppolo #10 of the San Francisco 49ers passes the ball against the Detroit Lions at Levi’s Stadium on September 16, 2018 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) /

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.

Live Feed

Who is playing Thursday Night Football in Week 15 (and why should we care)?
Who is playing Thursday Night Football in Week 15 (and why should we care)? /

Niner Noise

  • 3 Former Patriots Failing Miserably With Their New Teams in 2023 Chowder and Champions
  • Are there five better quarterbacks right now than Brock Purdy? NFL Spin Zone
  • Raiders HC Antonio Pierce and QB Aidan O'Connell coaching and playing for their future Just Blog Baby
  • NFL Rumors: Josh McDaniels cost the Raiders a franchise quarterback FanSided
  • Las Vegas Raiders need to stick to Aidan O'Connell at quarterback Just Blog Baby
  • 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.