The formula may look a bit different with the defense and running game leading the Kansas City Chiefs. But the results feel very familiar as the two-time defending champions continue to defeat teams, especially the San Francisco 49ers.
Patrick Mahomes bounced back from two interceptions to make several important plays with his legs, helping the Chiefs remain the only undefeated team in the league by beating the 49ers 28-18 on Sunday in a Super Bowl rematch.
“I just don’t think it’s normal for what you’ve seen from us because there’s not a lot of passing touchdowns,” Mahomes said after going two games in a row without a touchdown pass for only the second time in his career.
“There’s been a lot of turnovers, especially by me. I think it’s just showing the versatility of our team. It’s not just about me, it’s not just about the stats and the light show and stuff like that. It’s about playing team football, and I believe if we continue to work, we’ll get better offensively at throwing the ball down the field.
But until then, it’s nice to know that we have a great running game, we’ve got a great defense, and we’re able to execute when it matters to win football games.”
The Chiefs (6-0) ran for a season-high 184 yards and scored four touchdowns on the ground for the first time since the 2018 playoffs against Indianapolis. The defense did its part too, with three interceptions against Brock Purdy and the 49ers (3-4), on a day when Mahomes had his second-fewest passing yards ever (154) in a game he didn’t leave due to injury.
Mahomes made his best plays without throwing the ball. He had a 33-yard run where he faked out Dee Winters by stopping near the sideline and then continued for more yards. That set up a 1-yard run on fourth-and-goal when he lowered his shoulder to push past rookie safety Malik Mustapha at the goal line.
“He’s just a playmaker,” said Kareem Hunt, who ran for two touchdowns. “Whenever the ball is in his hands, he can make plays with his arm or legs.”
The stakes and the quality of play weren’t as high as eight months ago when Mahomes and the Chiefs defeated the 49ers 25-22 in overtime for their third Super Bowl title in five seasons.
But the outcome was the same, with Kansas City winning its fifth consecutive game against San Francisco, including two Super Bowls.
The game came with a potentially serious cost for San Francisco. Star receiver Brandon Aiyuk was taken off the field after injuring his right knee while making a catch late in the first half. Coach Kyle Shanahan mentioned that the team fears Aiyuk may have torn his ACL.
Aiyuk’s absence became crucial late in the third quarter when the 49ers were driving and trying to overcome a 14-12 deficit.
Purdy threw an inaccurate pass to backup receiver Ronnie Bell, leading to an interception by rookie Chris Roland-Wallace. The Chiefs then converted that into a touchdown thanks to two runs by Mahomes.
Mahomes completed 16 of 27 passes for 154 yards and has eight interceptions and six touchdown passes this season. But that has been enough for Kansas City to become the 10th defending Super Bowl champion to start the next season with six straight wins.
“We got plenty of room to improve on things,” coach Andy Reid said. “Eventually guys will start coming back. But the thing I appreciate the most is guys stepping up and then the other guys trusting them to step up and believing in them.”
Purdy wasn’t much better, as the defenses had the upper hand in this game. He completed 17 of 31 passes for 212 yards, with two rushing touchdowns and three interceptions.
His third pick came in the end zone midway through the fourth quarter while San Francisco was trying to make a comeback.
“We didn’t do anything really good on offense,” Shanahan said. “I know he’d love to have all three of those picks back. Brock’s been playing unbelievable this year. He’s done some good things on offense this year but today wasn’t that day.”
