Kansas City Defense Shuts Down 49ers in 28-18 Win

Another 49ers loss to Kansas City and the concern is that Kyle Shanahan has yet to figure out Steve Spagnuolo’s defense in five years. Press man coverage and aggressive pressure led to three Brock Purdy interceptions as the 49ers fell yet again to Kansas City 28-18.

The Chiefs defense has led their 6-0 start, they held Purdy to 17-31 for 212 yards, with the three picks creating a passer rating of 36.7. Purdy has to cure himself of forcing the ball into double coverage, that’s where the majority of his picks have come from this season.

Jordan Mason had 58 yards rushing, primarily due to a 26-yard run. Half of his 14 carries went for two yards or less.

The Niners only had one answer, George Kittle with six catches for 92 yards. Jacob Cowing had a 41-yard explosive on a nice double move. Ricky Pearsall had three catches for 21 yards in his league debut.

The Niners receivers barely cracked 100 yards. Deebo Samuel was sick before the game. The 49ers fear Brandon Aiyuk is out for the season with a torn ACL.  He”ll undergo an MRI on Monday. Add Jauan Jennings missing this game with a hip injury and the Niners could be very short-handed at receiver against Dallas.

The 49ers are 3-4 and look it. They are a team of moments not games.

Game Balls

George Kittle 6-92 and a long of 41 on an underthrown ball.

Malik Mustapha the team leader in tackles with 12 including two sledgehammer hits.

Taking Stock

The 49ers doubled down on veterans and are getting inspiring play from Fred Warner as a DPOY candidate. Deommodore Lenoir has been a reliable playmaker. Nick Bosa has brought consistent pressure if not sacks. Trent Williams is top five in the PFF ratings. Jordan Mason has been essential, Jauan Jennings has been a rock, George Kittle has delivered. After that, Jekyll and Hyde from Brock Purdy, running into trouble against great defensive coordinators.

Many of the week-to-week contributions have been from rookies. On a team looking for the veterans to lead the way.

The question is if Kyle Shanahan’s offense has reached its expiration date? It has against the best defensive coordinators, but there’s only a handful of them. That said, Shanahan is beginning to look more like the guy that has Christian McCaffrey on his team than a genius.

The more games that McCaffrey and Dre Greenlaw miss, the more evident it becomes that they are the players who take the team execution from good to elite. Without them, this is a .500 team.

Now What?

This is a team in transition. It has invested in vets but the kids are carrying them. Shanahan will need to respond accordingly, such as more targets for Jacob Cowing.

One issue is the time bomb problem. Vets that are done are spelled by young players that aren’t ready for prime time. De’Vondre Campbell should not be starting, but Dee Winters can only get to the play, he can’t close. Either way the Niners pay a price.

Another issue is waiting for Purdy to grow out of this phase in his young career. Too many risks, overreacting to pressure, his decision making is stuck right now, and stuck on the same mistakes.

At the same time, Purdy can play well with great stats against lesser defenses. His evolution will require more consistency and smarter decisions. That comes with time, but until it arrives, the offense will reflect his inconsistency.

The defense Purdy faces is determining his success or failure right now, Purdy has to evolve past that. I believe he will, but this season will take some losses from that.

Is this team a Super Bowl contender? No. However, this is the type of season where a team that gets hot late can make a run. Kansas City and Detroit look like the class of the league.

That the Niners took these Chiefs to overtime in the Super Bowl seems a lifetime ago for both teams. Kansas City got worse, yet they just controlled the Niners, which is a sign of how far the Niners have fallen. With McCaffrey and Greenlaw can they close that gap? Maybe, but that seems optimistic. There are too many setbacks on this team. Too many places where they’ve taken a step back, roster and coaches.

Next Up

The Niners move on to Dallas, a team that they have owned for years. The Cowboys will be amped for the Sunday night game and another chance at revenge.

Mike McCarthy coming off a bye doesn’t strike the fear of Andy Reid off a bye. The Dallas offense has only cracked 20 points once this year and the defense gave up 47 to Detroit.

Prior to their bye week, the Niners need a win over the Cowboys, or they skid into the bye losing three of four. The lone win gift-wrapped by Seattle’s Geno Smith.

San Francisco needs this win to get back to .500. Dallas is not good, the Niners are mediocre, 49er moments should be enough to get the win next week.