49ers vs. Chiefs: Week 3 Q&A with FanSided’s Arrowhead Addict

Niner Noise goes behind enemy lines with FanSided’s Arrowhead Addict to talk all things Week 3 and the pending matchup between the San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs.

When the 2018 NFL schedule was announced, it was anyone’s guess how the San Francisco 49ers would fare in their Week 3 road bout with the Kansas City Chiefs. After all, the Chiefs were starting a relatively unproven quarterback, Patrick Mahomes, who took over the duties from Alex Smith after he was traded off early in 2018.

And all Mahomes has done is light up the league.

Through two games, Mahomes has a whopping 10 passing touchdowns, which would put him on pace for 80 on the season — 25 more than the record Peyton Manning set back in 2013.

So it shouldn’t come as a surprise the Chiefs boast the No. 1 ranked scoring offense in the NFL so far this season.

Unfortunately for the Niners, they catch the Chiefs when they’re red hot. Sure, Mahomes and Co. will likely cool off a bit at some point this season. San Francisco fans merely hope that happens in Week 3, when head coach Kyle Shanahan’s squad travels to Kansas City for the Chiefs’ home opener.

To preview the contest, I sat down with Matt Conner, site expert of Arrowhead Addict, FanSided’s original site to cover all things Chiefs. We previewed the contest, took a look at what’s facing both squads this week and over the course of the season so far.

Take a look in this Q&A exclusive.

NN: Patrick Mahomes has been absolutely electrifying these two games. What have you seen on film that accounts for all the early success he’s had so far?

"AA: Everything. Literally everything on film tells the story. He’s so incredibly cool and collected at the line. He takes his time and intelligently reads the defense and adjusts accordingly. He trusts his line and goes through the reads. He is willing to stand in and take a hit. He’s willing to take what the defense gives him. He’ll throw it out of bounds, take the sack, or slide short of the first down marker to avoid mistakes.That said, he also has the most effortless delivery with more arm strength than 95 percent of players who’ve ever manned the same position in NFL history. The Chiefs surrounded him with Pro Bowlers all around. What more is there to say?"

NN: If you were an opposing defensive coordinator, what would your game plan be to contain Mahomes and what is turning out to be a more-than-potent Chiefs offense?

"AA: Honestly my game plan would be somewhat similar to the bend-but-don’t-break scheme that the Chiefs have become known for locally—and that frustrates so many fans.I’d make certain to limit the big play, which might give Mahomes plenty to work with underneath, but mixing things up as much as possible would at least force Mahomes to think (and not just follow his instincts). The playmakers are there to punish any team, but my goal would be to try to coax a mistake or two from a guy who is technically a first-year starter."

NN: From an outsider’s perspective, what strengths and weaknesses do you see from this 49ers squad heading into Week 3? More specifically, what are the areas that can be exploited and what scares you?

"AA: The Niners have the NFL’s leading rusher, and the Chiefs run defense has been among the worst in the NFL over the last couple seasons. This year, the hope is that they’ve patched that hole in the boat, but we need bigger sample sizes to know for sure. The return of [linebacker Reuben] Foster and [wide receiver Marquise] Goodwin also give the Niners a boost on both sides of the ball.That said, the Chiefs are red hot and just won two of the three toughest road games on paper this year. They’re finally at home after running the early tables and fans are going to be insane. The Niners’ sloppy play on defense ([cornerback Richard] Sherman aside) sets the table for another offensive feast for the Chiefs."

NN: Give me two one-on-one matchups you’re looking forward to in this game, one on offense and the other on defense. Why is each matchup an X-factor for either the 49ers or Chiefs?

"AA: 1. [Wide receiver] Tyreek Hill against the Niners tackling. The NFL’s fastest man makes even the best defenders miss in space, so it will be very interesting to see if the Niners’ tackling woes continue against an offense predicated on the speed and elusiveness of Hill.2. [Defensive tackle] Chris Jones vs. the Niners interior. The Lions were able to penetrate up the middle, and Chris Jones has been a beast inside with a couple key plays negated by stupid penalties. He’s a game-changer looking for the spotlight to finally give him his due, so if he can take advantage of a soft interior, he’ll do it in a heartbeat."

San Francisco 49ers

NN: The Chiefs got off to a red-hot start a year ago at this time too. Tell me why you think 2018 is different and why Kansas City can keep this momentum up throughout the rest of the year.

"AA: The offense last year looked nice for sure, and [running back] Kareem Hunt was a force to be reckoned with, but this year is operating on another level entirely. That said, the pass defense is downright awful and it’d be an easy bet to see [quarterback Jimmy] Garoppolo throw for over 300 yards.If there’s an Achilles heel here, it’s that. But the Chiefs are already the NFL’s worst defense through two games and they’re 2-0. They’ve beaten two future Hall of Fame quarterbacks on two teams, both predicted by most to win their respective divisions, and they did it on the road.In other words, the offense is so good, that even when the defense is horrible against other very good offenses, they still win. I’ll put a check on that any day."

NN: Final score and prediction for Week 3 between the 49ers and Chiefs.

"AA: Chiefs 30, Niners 20"

Indeed, Matt brings up some excellent points and concerns for 49ers fans, who watched their defense nearly squander a 17-point lead to the Detroit Lions in the fourth quarter of San Francisco’s Week 2 30-27 win at Levi’s Stadium.

Limiting Mahomes should be priority No. 1, but there isn’t necessarily any easy way to go about doing that. Especially with top-notch offensive weapons like Hill and tight end Travis Kelce — matchup nightmares for virtually every defense in the league.

Perhaps San Francisco’s game plan winds up being a run-first, ball-control approach, thereby keeping Mahomes and Co. off the field while exploiting a questionable Chiefs defense.

But we’ll have to wait until Sunday to see if that comes to fruition.

Regardless, be kind and give our friend Matt a follow on Twitter — @MattConnerAA — as well as Arrowhead Addict — @ArrowheadAddict.

The 49ers and Chiefs kick off at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday, Sept. 23 from Arrowhead Stadium.