2 bright spots (and 2 meltdowns) from 49ers' Week 7 debacle vs. Chiefs

The San Francisco 49ers were handed another defeat by a familiar foe, the Kansas City Chiefs, in Week 7.

San Francisco has not been able to figure out the defending Super Bowl champions, and it showed on Sunday in the latest installment of this rivalry, the 49ers falling to 3-4 amid the 28-18 defeat.

The loss dropped the 49ers below .500 again and out of first place in the NFC West. Coupled with the Seattle Seahawks' Week 7 win, the reigning NFC West champs are on the outside, looking in to the playoff picture now.

While every game has studs and duds, let's take a look at two of the bright spots for the Niners and a pair of problems we saw develop during Sunday's debacle.

Bright spot No. 1: Peak performance from 49ers' secondary

San Francisco's defense held opposing quarterback Patrick Mahomes to just 154 yards passing on 16 of 27 throws. He also did not throw for a touchdown in the game, finishing with two interceptions and a career-low 44.4 passer rating.

Cornerback Deommodore Lenoir and defensive tackle Kalia Davis both came up with interceptions, and not only did Lenoir and Davis tally a pass defended, but so did fellow corner Charvarius Ward.

Chiefs wide receiver Noah Gray was the only player to record more than 25 yards receiving. Safety Malik Mustapha, meanwhile, notched 12 total tackles, a team-high.

The 49ers' secondary was able to contain Mahomes and the bevy of Chiefs receivers, and the Niners should be proud in this regard that they did not get beat by Kansas City's aerial attack again.

Meltdown No. 1: Brock Purdy's performance killed 49ers' chances

Normally, we are applauding the third-year quarterback's play, and it typically results in a win.

This was not the case in Week 7.

Despite rushing for two scores of his own in the second half, quarterback Brock Purdy threw a trio of interceptions that gave the Chiefs three additional possessions. In the second half, Purdy's second and third interceptions in the game led to touchdowns by the Chiefs.

In a 10-point loss, it is easy to point out this 14-point swing cost San Francisco the game.

Purdy was without wide receivers Deebo Samuel (illness) and Jauan Jennings (hip). Fellow wideout Brandon Aiyuk also left the game with a serious knee injury that likely ends his season.

Additionally, San Francisco has yet to see last year's Offensive Player of the Year, running back Christian McCaffrey, take the field. Sunday was also the first game for rookie wide receiver Ricky Pearsall, as the 49ers' first-round pick hauled in three catches for a total of 21 yards.

Purdy was barely completing 50 percent of his throws as he went 17-of-31 with just 212 yards. He did launch two throws for 41 yards each to tight end George Kittle and rookie receiver Jacob Cowing.

Just like Mahomes, though, Purdy did not produce a touchdown throw.

If the 49ers hope to turn their season around, they need to fix the offensive woes and miscues. With some defensive deficiencies, San Francisco's offensive may need to score closer to 30 points a game in order to win.

Bright Spot No. 2: Geroge Kittle, plus the 49ers rookies are stepping up

The 49ers offense has avoided becoming borderline anemic, thanks to the efforts of their star tight end, who pulled in six receptions on seven targets for 92 yards.

Though Kittle did not score in the game, he helped the Niners move the ball downfield by catching one pass for 41 yards and another for 22 yards.

Purdy has complete trust in the eight-year veteran. The 49ers quarterback has found Kittle 34 times this season, and five of those instances resulted in six points. Kittle's five touchdowns is tied for second-most in the league.

Tack on the efforts from Pearsall, Cowing and Mustapha, it's evident the Niners' successes are stemming from unforeseen commodities, although Kittle's could be expected.

With the injury bug that has commonly hit the Niners during even numbered years, players like Cowing, Pearsall and Mustapha need to step up in their place to take some of the pressure and workload off of Kittle and the other veterans.

Meltdown No. 2: Anything to do with the run game (on offense or defense)

The 49ers' run game was stalled outside of Purdy's pair of touchdowns. No. 1 running back Jordan Mason was held to just 58 yards on 14 carries, while rookie rusher Isaac Guerendo ran the ball one time for 2 yards.

San Francisco's ground attack did not challenge the Chiefs' defense, although it's fair to lump KC's run defense into an elite category.

Still, few rushes helped move the chains, as the absence of McCaffrey is noticed.

In terms of the 49ers' run defense, it was almost nonexistent. The Chiefs ran for four scores, including two by returning running back Kareem Hunt. Mahomes and wide receiver Mecole Hardman also ran one into the end zone as well.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan's team is a bottom-12 defense when it comes to the rushing yards allowed a game, although it's still a top-15 team in regard to total yards per game allowed.

Week 7 was the perfect stage to showcase some of the short comings on both sides of the ball. The 49ers are no longer a team that boasts a scary, tactical run game. Nor does it have a run defense that will give opposing offenses fits.

Hopefully, come Week 8 against the struggling Dallas Cowboys, the Niners can resolve these issues and find their fourth win of the season.

That would bring them back to .500 before their Week 9 bye.

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