The San Francisco 49ers visit the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 3 of the 2019 NFL preseason, and eyes are going to be on quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo and his bounce-back efforts.
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo is going to get more than just three drives’ playing time when the Niners visit the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 3 of the 2019 NFL preseason.
At least that’s the plan: increase Garoppolo’s field time more than the mere handful of snaps he received when San Francisco paid a visit to the Denver Broncos a week ago.
This time, however, Garoppolo returns to Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City — the site where he tore his ACL in Week 3 a season ago, all but derailing the 49ers’ chances to contend for a playoff berth in 2018.
Considering Garoppolo’s ineffectiveness in Denver, and the fact Week 3 of the preseason is traditionally viewed as a regular-season dress rehearsal for most teams, head coach Kyle Shanahan would be more than wise to let Jimmy G shake off a lot of the rust he’s been carrying for nearly a full year since the devastating injury.
Along with Garoppolo, Shanahan will likely suit up and play a good chunk of his starters and first-team units for the first two quarters on Saturday, giving way to backups and reserves after halftime. San Francisco’s defense, in particular, should be a unit worth watching.
Especially considering the Chiefs, led by quarterback Patrick Mahomes, boasted the league’s best offense a year ago in record-setting fashion.
While neither Shanahan nor Chiefs head coach Andy Reid will open up their respective playbooks fully, it’s nevertheless going to be an intriguing chess match to watch during this NFL preseason bout.
Niner Noise breaks down that aspect, matchups to watch, injury notes and much more in this preseason preview for San Francisco.
Preseason Week 2 By the Numbers
OK, it’s preseason narrative time. One can only take so much away from exhibition contests, although Week 3 of this phase most resembles what fans will witness in the regular season.
The 2018 Chiefs were known for two things, primarily: boasting a potent and record-setting offense, while having arguably the worst defense in the NFL.
Just check out the rankings:
- Points scored — first (565 points)
- All-purpose yards — first (6,810 yards)
- Points allowed — 24th (421 points)
- All-purpose yards allowed — 31st (6,488)
Patrick Mahomes and Co. were still able to generate such a whopping offensive attack, good enough to lead Kansas City to a 12-4 record and first-round bye in the playoffs before being stymied by the eventual Super Bowl-winning New England Patriots in the AFC Championship game.
But there’s a hitch in the Chiefs numbers. Last season, K.C. was tied with the Pittsburgh Steelers for the most sacks in the league with 52, yet those numbers didn’t translate over to defensive success.
Considering how much effort the Niners put into their own pass rush this offseason, this particular stat could be somewhat worrisome.
About that 49ers defense, well, it wasn’t particularly great in 2019. San Francisco forced just seven turnovers, of course, and had just two interceptions. Both set record lows for teams in the modern era in a non-strike-shortened season.
And overall, the Niners boasted the NFL’s fifth worst scoring defense last year, allowing a total of 435 points.
Even though this is just a preseason bout, fans could groan a bit if Mahomes and the Chiefs offense pick apart San Francisco’s defense with ease over those first two quarters on Saturday.
49ers Preseason Injury Updates
The 49ers received a bit of bad news on the injury front after their NFL preseason Week 2 victory over the Broncos, losing rookie wide receiver Shawn Poindexter to a season-ending ACL tear. The team has since waived/injured him, and one can only hope he makes a full and speedy recovery.
Teams aren’t required to post official injury updates for the preseason, making this Pro Football Reference list a bit inaccurate. But here it is:
| Player | Pos | Type | Class |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weston Richburg | C | Knee | I-R |
| Garrett Celek | TE | Back | I-R |
| Greg Mabin | CB | Calf | I-R |
| Shon Coleman | OL | Ankle | I-R |
| Kyle Nelson | TE | Suspension | out |
| Trent Taylor | WR | Foot | out |
| Jerick McKinnon | RB | Knee | out |
| Raheem Mostert | RB | Concussion | out |
| D.J. Jones | DL | Knee | questionable |
| Dee Ford | LB | Knee | questionable |
| Nick Bosa | DL | Ankle | questionable |
| Jason Verrett | CB | Ankle | questionable |
| K’Waun Williams | DB | Knee | questionable |
| D.J. Reed | DB | Shoulder | questionable |
| Kwon Alexander | LB | Knee | probable |
| Jimmy Garoppolo | QB | Knee | probable |
| Michael Person | G | Foot | probable |
Provided by Pro-Football-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 8/23/2019.
Mike Person and Weston Richburg are on track to return in Week 1, which is good news. But as was the case in Denver, the 49ers are going to likely rely on fill-in linemen for the first two quarters.
D.J. Reed received a significant amount of playing time against the Broncos, as nickel corner K’Waun Williams continues to rehabilitate from a knee injury. Reed is vying for a depth spot, too, making his efforts in Kansas City crucial.
Raheem Mostert has since been cleared from the concussion protocol, per Kyle Shanahan.
As far as some of the more notable Niners starters, Dee Ford isn’t likely to play against his former employer, although tight end George Kittle could get some field time after dealing with a minor calf injury.
Kittle recently returned to practice after the Broncos game.
49ers X-Factors and Storylines to Watch
Preseason narratives are just that, and there’s only so much one can read into the goings on during the contest.
But considering Week 3 of the preseason is the closest thing to a regular-season game fans will see, and there are a number of roster spots and jobs on the line, this particular contest holds some awfully high importance.
Can Jimmy Garoppolo Bounce Back?
Jimmy Garoppolo was a mere 1-of-6 in Denver last week for a net total of zero yards, an interception and a passer rating of 0.0. Yes, you read that correctly.
Garoppolo never got into any sort of rhythm, and it looked as if the game was moving too fast for him. And while he saw just three drives against the Broncos, his struggles against a good defense created all kinds of overreaction and worry.
Just Blog Baby
Going up against a questionable Chiefs defense could help right Garoppolo’s sinking stock value, especially if he’s able to take advantage of the increased field time on Saturday.
Kyle Shanahan vs. Andy Reid
Again, neither head coach in this contest will be pulling obscure plays from the back end of their playbooks.
That said, both Kyle Shanahan and Andy Reid are widely viewed as some of the best offensive-minded coaches in the league.
Even their basic, vanilla-style play-calling abilities should be entertaining.
Running Back Raheem Mostert
2018 revealed Raheem Mostert could be more than just a special teams ace, and his efforts in Denver against the Broncos solidified that. Mostert managed a combined 100 yards of offense, split between a 9.7 yards-per-carry average on the ground and a two-catch, 42-yard effort through the air.
Even though starters will see ample field time Saturday, expect Shanahan to give Mostert a good number of carries during the game, as the tailback looks to carve out a significant role this season.
Oh, and the Chiefs run defense was terrible last year. Like, second-worst-in-the-league terrible, averaging 5.0 yards per carry against.
49ers Defensive Backs
It’s not the Chiefs defense the Niners should be worried about, rather Patrick Mahomes and the offense.
San Francisco was content to largely sit on its incumbent crop of defensive backs during the offseason. While cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon looks to have bounced back from a forgettable 2018 campaign, and Tarvarius Moore‘s switch from corner to safety looks promising, that doesn’t change the fact Kansas City’s offense is about as potent as it gets.
This should be a good indicator just how solid the 49ers defense can be against a top-tier offense.
And if things go badly, at least the numbers won’t count.
Game Information and How to Watch
The 49ers and Chiefs kick off for Week 3 of the 2019 NFL preseason on Saturday, Aug. 25 at 8 p.m. ET from Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City.
Greg Papa, Tim Ryan and Dennis O’Donnell will helm the Niners broadcasting crew, and Bay Area folks can catch the game on KPIX 5 for television.
Our friends over at 49ers Webzone have a list of television affiliates throughout California, Oregon, Nevada and Hawaii.
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NFL Network will also broadcast a replay on Sunday, Aug. 25 at 1 a.m. ET.
Streaming Info
For those out-of-market fans, you have the option to stream the game using NFL Game Pass (subscription required) or by using the fuboTV platform.
Radio
Bob Fitzgerald, Keena Turner and Dennis Brown will be handling the radio side of things for fans unable to watch the game. And as always, the 49ers flagship station, KNBR 680 in San Francisco, will have the game aired live. So will KNBR’s sister station, 107.7 FM The Bone.
Check your local listings for further radio broadcasts.
Niner Noise Coverage
As always, Niner Noise writers and analysts will be providing preview information, in-game content during our live thread (you are always encouraged to join the discussion and comment) and postgame analysis and breakdowns.
Be sure to follow along with us on Twitter — @SFNinerNoise — and on our home page before, during and after the game.