SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Never mind revenge. The 49ers are still trying to get over a massive Super Bowl hangover.
Leave it to Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs to remind them of the task.
San Francisco (3-4) came up short again in the rematch of Super Bowl 58, falling 28-18 at Levi’s Stadium to not only dip below .500 but also illuminate just how difficult it will be to make another legitimate run at a championship.
“There’s so many things that are going to be said, obviously, about where we’re at, and that team,” 49ers linebacker Fred Warner said, alluding to that team that might be in San Francisco’s head as it has yet to beat the Chiefs in the Mahomes era.
“At the end of the day, that’s not going to help us move forward,” Warner added. “We have to just look at the reality of what it is, move on and win a game next week.”
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No, the 49ers wouldn’t be the first team to stumble the year after losing a Super Bowl. History suggests that’s more the rule than the exception.
But it just got worse as Brandon Aiyuk suffered what the team fears is a torn ACL in his right knee, which would end the season for the star receiver. Aiyuk is slated to undergo an MRI on Monday.
You can’t blame the 49ers if they wonder just how many more blows their once-prolific offense must endure. In addition to Aiyuk’s injury – which occurred on a crushing collision late in the second quarter when he was sandwiched by two Chiefs defensive backs as he snagged a pass over the middle – the 49ers played the bulk of Sunday’s game without their other top wideout, Deebo Samuel.
It was revealed before the game that Samuel was suffering from an illness. He tried to push through but lasted only three plays. This, after Jauan Jennings was ruled out with a hip injury that kept him out of practices last week. And the unit has been without Christian McCaffrey all season as he rehabs an Achilles heel injury.
The depleted supporting cast undoubtedly increased the pressure on 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy. And that was not a good thing. Purdy had the lowest single-game passer rating of his career (36.7), influenced by his three interceptions, including a pick in the end zone by rookie safety Jaden Hicks in the fourth quarter that doused San Francisco’s hope for a comeback.
And that reflected just some of the frustration for the injury-stung offense. On top of the turnovers, they couldn’t sustain drives, converting just two of 11 third downs.
“You can’t play like that if you want to beat a team that knows how to win,” 49ers tight end George Kittle said. “They win gritty games, and it wasn’t the prettiest game for them. You know, Patrick had a couple of turnovers himself, but they win those gritty games.”
Especially against the 49ers. Mahomes had the worst single-game passer rating of his career, too, a paltry 44.4, which reflected two picks, zero touchdown passes, 154 passing yards and a season-low 59.3% completion rate.
Yet if somebody had to win ugly, you’d figure it to be Mahomes. Including two Super Bowl triumphs, Mahomes is now 5-0 against the 49ers.
And while Mahomes didn’t dazzle with his arm this time, he certainly left an imprint on the result with his legs. He set up his 1-yard touchdown run early in the fourth quarter with the longest run of his career – a 33-yard scamper around left end and up the sideline that included a deft pump-fake and a stutter-step juke move that took advantage of the hesitation that happens when a defender is concerned about being flagged for tagging a quarterback out of bounds. Mahomes was inbounds as he tip-toed along the sideline, but he was close enough to the chalk that linebacker Dee Winters eased up just enough for Mahomes to exploit the pause.
Four plays later, Mahomes barreled up the middle for a stand-up score after Chiefs coach Andy Reid decided to go for it on fourth-and-goal from the 1-yard line.
It appeared that Mahomes lowered his shoulder to ram his way to pay dirt – which Reid maintained would never be the design for the franchise centerpiece.
“I was trying to absorb the hit,” Mahomes insisted.
In any event, the 49ers can look no further to the Chiefs (6-0) for a model in dealing with adversity. Kansas City’s offense has been decimated by injuries, too. Starting wideout Marquise “Hollywood” Brown (shoulder) hasn’t played all season. The other starting receiver, Rashee Rice, suffered a season-ending knee injury. Running back Isiah Pacheco is out for an extended period with an ankle injury.
On Sunday, the Chiefs played the bulk of the game without receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster, who aggravated a hamstring injury.
Yet the Chiefs, as they have all season, kept finding ways and weapons to win.
It’s no wonder that they are the NFL’s only undefeated team. Reid’s squad is so resourceful, that’s what Reid’s team. In addition to Mahomes’ runs, speedy receivers Mecole Hardman and Xavier Worthy made big plays off jet sweeps. Noah Gray, the No. 2 tight end, led the team with 66 receiving yards on four catches. Hardman set up a score with a 55-yard punt return. The defense not only made life miserable for Purdy, it contained another productive running back as Jordan Mason, who entered the game ranked second in the NFL in rushing, finished with 58 yards on 14 carries.
Somehow, the Chiefs came into the rematch as the underdog.
Well, that projection didn’t hold up. And it didn’t even come down to a coin toss.
This story was updated with new information and a new video.