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The bye week is over, and the Kansas City Chiefs (5-0) have no time to ease back into play. In Week 7, the team will hit the road to play the San Francisco 49ers (3-3) on Sunday at 3:25 PM Arrowhead time in Levi’s Stadium. The energy will be high for the rematch of Super Bowls LVIII and LIV.
It will be the fourth overall time these teams have faced off under the current regimes; the Chiefs have won every game.
Even while undefeated, Kansas City looks vulnerable due to injury — and that will only rile up a vengeful 49ers team. The players available for both teams will be well-rested for battle; San Francisco played on Thursday night last week. That sets the stage for a high-level game between high-end contenders. Here are five things to watch in their latest meeting:
1. Handling the 49ers’ misdirection on offense
The Chiefs have gained experience against the offensive scheme of 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan, whether it’s against his team or the version the Miami Dolphins run under head coach Mike McDaniel. The defense knows it starts with gap integrity against the run and disciplined eyes to key on play-action passes.
San Francisco tries to make that as difficult as possible. The offense leads the NFL in plays involving pre-snap motion. In the run game, the 49ers average 5.2 yards per carry on plays with motion.
The pressure will be on the Chiefs’ front seven to be stout on the front side and pursue plays from the back side, mainly the linebackers and edge defenders. Former Chiefs’ linebacker Willie Gay Jr. excelled against these stretch-run schemes, but third-year linebacker Leo Chenal has also been a big factor in disrupting this type of offense.
2. Chiefs scheming up big plays
The Chiefs will need a thought-out offensive plan to protect quarterback Patrick Mahomes as he throws and continues running the ball efficiently. Head coach Andy Reid highlighted what drives the 49ers’ defense in a press conference Wednesday.
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