After a highly competitive first half, Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs pulled away from the San Francisco 49ers in the second half and put the game away with a 45-yard touchdown pass for good measure.
Chiefs versus 49ers were the marquee matchup on the Week 7 NFL schedule. The game saw the second-highest-ranked team in our NFL offense rankings battle one of the premiere defensive squads in the league. Heading into the game, San Francisco had given up the least total yards and was second in passing yards and points allowed per game in the NFL. Mahomes and his unit had their hands full with the punishing 49ers D on Sunday.
Early on, it was a heavyweight slugfest as the Kansas City offense was held to just 14 after two quarters. However, in the third, they exploded for 14 and added another 16 in the final frame. With the score at 37-23 with six minutes left, Mahomes put a dagger in the opposing team’s heart when he connected with Juju Smith-Schuster over the middle of the field, and the 25-year-old made a man miss en route to taking the rock to the house. You can give the play a look below.
The score gave KC a 44-23 lead and that’s the way the game would end. Mahomes would finish with an impressive 423 passing yards and three TD passes. Smith-Schuster (124) and Marquez Valdes-Scantling (111) both finished with over 100 yards receiving on the day. Superstar tight end Travis Kelce just missed the century mark with 98 yards through the air.
What the Kansas City Chiefs’ dominant performance means
The Chiefs bounced back in a major way in Week 7. After a disappointing loss to the Buffalo Bills last week, the team had a tough assignment in San Francisco. They came up short against their top rival in the AFC and this was another test of how good this offense truly is after trading superstar Tyreek Hill in the offseason. They passed with flying colors.
Mahomes continued his MVP-caliber season and the receiving corps — including Kelce — have been phenomenal in filling the void left by the ultra-talented Hill. Heading into the game they were the fourth-best in the league in passing yards and top in points per game. They maintained that excellence in Week 7.
The Chiefs have a bye next week before facing the streaking Tennessee Titans in Week 9.
More must-reads: