The Chiefs handled their business against the 49ers in Super Bowl LIV. On Sunday, in the marquee matchup of the Week 7 afternoon slate, rematching San Francisco on West Coast turf, they did it again. Christian McCaffrey made his sharp-looking debut with his new squad, helping Jimmy Garoppolo and Co. take an early advantage. But Patrick Mahomes proved the more sustainable big-play artist in the cross-conference clash, spreading the ball around as Andy Reid's squad rolled to a 44-23 victory.
DeMeco Ryans' defense made noise early in the showdown, with Talanoa Hufanga intercepting Mahomes to help San Francisco go on a 10-0 run out of the gate. The Chiefs scored a combined 30 points in the second half alone, however, with JuJu Smith-Schuster and Travis Kelce serving as reliable outlets for No. 15, and Mecole Hardman scoring three times on red zone trickery. Marquez Valdes-Scantling also went off on several deep shots, torching former Chiefs veteran Charvarius Ward.
Here are some additional takeaways from Sunday's Chiefs win:
Why the Chiefs won
The Andy Reid-Patrick Mahomes combo remains the standard. A slightly sloppy start, including an early Mahomes pick in his own territory, did nothing to overshadow their second-half stardom. Everyone -- almost literally -- was on display: Travis Kelce emerged just when he needed to, always finding a way to run wide open on third-and-long; JuJu Smith-Schuster and Marquez Valdes-Scantling each made downfield work look easy; Mecole Hardman turned on the jets for three scores as a ball-carrier; and even Jerick McKinnon spiced up the backfield with a late catch-and-run. Mahomes simply fed them all, and his line proved sturdy the entire time, neutralizing San Francisco's typically feisty front.
The Chiefs defense wasn't without its moments, too. L'Jarius Sneed played with confidence on the outside, getting to Garoppolo on a blitz and nearly logging a pick as well. And Frank Clark had his best Chiefs performance in recent memory, totaling 1.5 sacks and hitting Garoppolo twice, including on a safety that all but sealed Kansas City's big win.
Why the 49ers lost
They couldn't run the ball the whole game. Early on, San Francisco looked like a seamless contender, moving up and down the field by leaning on the new rushing duo of Christian McCaffrey and Jeff Wilson Jr. As the Chiefs caught up and forced some red zone errors by Jimmy Garoppolo, however, the 49ers' ground game took a backseat to a more erratic aerial attack. Brandon Aiyuk was busy, and George Kittle flashed his Kelce-level athleticism with a nearly 100-yard outing. Even Ray-Ray McCloud got on the highlight reel with a nice TD catch. But all in all, Garoppolo never matched Mahomes in terms of consistent playmaking, throwing an ill-advised red-zone pick into traffic and failing to feel pressure on a safety that basically sealed the game.
It didn't help that DeMeco Ryans' defense had no answers for Mahomes and Co., especially after the half, when K.C. combined for 30 points in the final two quarters. Ex-Chiefs corner Charvarius Ward surrendered a bomb on third-and-long, and his teammates took turns blowing their own coverages after blitzes or front-four pressure failed to get home.
Turning point
Honestly, it probably came on Garoppolo's lone pick of the day. Down 14-13 to the Chiefs late in the second quarter, the 49ers were knocking at the door after recovering a muffed punt by rookie Skyy Moore. On third-and-3 from the K.C. 5-yard line, however, Jimmy G faced pressure from George Karlaftis and lofted one up in the direction of George Kittle, only for Chiefs rookie Joshua Williams to snag the ball out of the air and erase San Francisco's shot at points. You simply can't end drives that way and expect to beat the Chiefs.
Play of the game
We had three Hardman TDs to pick from, and his second came on a play in which most players would have no business scoring. Taking a simple motion handoff from left to right, the receiver took his time following blocks before bursting down the sideline to give Kansas City its first lead of the day.
What's next
The Chiefs (5-2) will rest up on their bye week before returning for a prime-time Nov. 6 "Sunday Night Football" showdown with the Titans (4-2), who beat the Colts but may or may not be without Ryan Tannehill moving forward due to injury. The 49ers (3-4), meanwhile, will hit the road in Week 8 for a matchup with the rival Rams (3-3), who fell to San Francisco earlier this month.