The San Francisco 49ers once again found themselves on the losing end of their Super Bowl rematch against the Kansas City Chiefs.
During his post-game interview, head coach Kyle Shanahan delivered a defeated remark: “There’s no way to sugarcoat this. We got our ass kicked today.”
We didn’t necessarily see a full rematch, though. Key offensive players were absent due to injuries. The Chiefs were missing wide receivers Rashee Rice and Hollywood Brown and running back Isaiah Pacheco.
On the other hand, the 49ers were without WR Jauan Jennings and RB Christian McCaffrey. Deebo Samuel left the game early due to illness, and Brandon Aiyuk walked off after a brutal hit to his knee, raising concerns about a potential ACL tear.
This matchup highlighted the equivalently weak performance of both offenses. Patrick Mahomes struggled throughout the game, recording only 154 yards and no passing touchdowns, with two interceptions. Despite these difficulties, however, Mahomes made key plays that contributed to the Chiefs’ victory. Andy Reid’s schemes opened players against the 49ers’ defense, scoring four rushing touchdowns.
On the other hand, initially, the 49ers attempted to establish their run game with Jordan Mason – who came short with only 57 yards on 14 carries. Mason had solid runs to start the game, but once Shanahan’s plays were recognized and countered by Reid, the Niners failed to adapt to their man-to-man defense.
With virtually no open receivers, QB Brock Purdy was forced to throw three interceptions, failing to record a passing touchdown. A particularly crucial interception came when he targeted a double-covered Chris Conley in the end zone, which would’ve given the Niners a legitimate shot to win the game.
Shanahan has been more successful when facing softer zone coverage, where defenses primarily focus on stopping the run. But with Jordan Mason injured and Christian McCaffrey out, the 49ers lacked a significant rushing threat, allowing the Chiefs to effectively employ man defense.
Grant Cohn, a long-time 49ers journalist noted that “Shanahan has nothing in his playbook to scheme receivers open against man-to-man coverage. He is a zone coverage merchant.”
Cohn didn’t hold back his criticism of Shanahan, calling him a fraud. He pointed out that the 49ers appeared “soft and poorly coached,” and that they had to switch things up for next week’s matchup against Dallas. For example, All-Pro OT Trent Williams was ejected for throwing a punch at an opponent.
As the season progresses, it seems more and more likely that the 49ers missing the playoffs can be a reality. If that happens, Cohn said that the Niners may need to consider firing Shanahan – which is raising serious questions about the team’s direction and future under his leadership.
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