3 Key Matchups Between the 49ers' Offense and Chiefs' Defense

These 3 matchups are pivotal for the Chiefs' offense in slowing down the 49ers' league best offense.

The San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs are set for their Super Bowl rematch 4 years after the Chiefs came out on top in Super Bowl LIV. The two teams had wildly different paths to get here but are once again squaring up for the biggest game of the season in another all red matchup. There are countless matchups in this game that could tilt the scales to the favor of either team but the most difficult matchup for the Chiefs will be figuring out how to slow down the 49ers’ offense.

The 49ers boasted the NFL’s best offense by just about every single advanced metric you can find. From start to finish, their offense stayed balanced and dynamic; keeping them at the top of all of the charts. On the opposite side is the Chiefs’ defense. An exceptional unit in it’s own right but not quite as loved by the advanced metrics - who are also on a historic playoff run rivaling the best defenses of all time. It’s an unstoppable object vs a barely movable object in this battle.

The ultimate wildcard becomes the play callers, two of the best in the NFL with Kyle Shanahan on the offensive side and Steve Spagnuolo on the defensive side. Based on narrative, this edge likely goes to Shanahan but in practice no defensive coordinator has been as brilliant as Spagnuolo in single game matchups like the Super Bowl. When these two units take the field, it’s likely going to be haymaker, counter, haymaker, counter.. on repeat for 60 minutes.

For that reason, I wanted to focus on 3 specific matchups for the Chiefs’ defense against this vaunted 49ers offense.

3 Keys for the Chiefs’ Defense vs 49ers’ Offense

There isn’t going be the generic “tackle well, don’t blow coverages, get pressure with four, ect” jargon in this. Obviously those things will ring true but we are going to dive a bit deeper here. The 49ers offense is also very good so this is by no means a way to completely stop them, just rather specific matchups that could slow them down in key spots.

Compressing the Space in the Pocket

Cutting straight to the point, Brock Purdy is not a large fella. He comes in at the 8th percentile in height and 19th percentile in weight of QBs to come through the NFL Combine. As one would expect out of a smaller statured QB, he doesn’t have the strongest arm in the NFL either. Combine these ingredients and the result is a QB who is heavily impacted by a lack of space or when large bodies are around him.