It turns out the San Francisco 49ers have no chance to beat the Kansas City Chiefs.
We tapped in with Chiefs Wire managing editor John Dillon to get some info on how the Chiefs' season has gone following their win over the 49ers in Super Bowl LVIII.
Typically we get some good insight on what teams do well or don't do well. The 5-0 Chiefs have been perfect in ostensibly every way though this season, and the 49ers because of it have no path to victory.
We recommend they still play the game, just in case.
Here's our Q & A with Chiefs Wire!
Niners Wire: Are the Chiefs WRs better now than they were in the Super Bowl?
Oct 7, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Xavier Worthy (1) celebrates with wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster (9) and running back Carson Steele (42) after scoring a touchdown against the New Orleans Saints during the second half at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images
JD: Hypothetically, (read: on paper (read: when healthy)) yes. The Chiefs went to great lengths to get better receivers on their payroll after Super Bowl LVIII. They brought in Marquise 'Hollywood' Brown to compete for a significant amount of targets, but he has yet to make his regular-season debut in Kansas City after suffering an injury back in August. Rashee Rice was a man on fire in the few games he was able to play in before sustaining a season-ending injury in Week 4. Rookie wideout Xavier Worthy has looked every bit the part of an explosive playmaker through five games but hasn't yet broken through to become an outright dominant force.
Part of Brett Veach's approach to revamping Kansas City's receiving corps was effectively creating an addition-by-subtraction scenario that saw the Chiefs move on from Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Kadarius Toney. It remains to be seen if the current rotation of pass-catchers will ultimately be more or less effective than last year's group, but given that the two "problem" players are no longer part of the equation, and that Kansas City hasn't leapt on a chance to acquire a veteran via trade after the injuries to Brown and Rice, the Chiefs seem comfortable with the talent they currently have available.
NW: The numbers say Patrick Mahomes hasn't been great this year -- what do your eyes tell you?
Oct 7, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) runs the ball and dives for a first down against the New Orleans Saints during the second half at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images
JD: Honestly, it's hard to say. We've seen very few of the flashes of brilliance that have almost become routine from the two-time MVP, and while his struggles with turnovers are cause for concern, betting against his improvement through the rest of the regular season seems like absolute folly.
This is to say, yes, I agree that Mahomes hasn't played particularly well in the Chiefs' first five games, but he hasn't played egregiously poorly, either. He isn't passing the eye test right now, but, frankly, he didn't pass the eye test for most of last season, and things turned out just fine once the playoffs started.
Until Kansas City starts losing games, it will be hard to criticize him or say that he has regressed in any meaningful way.
NW: L'Jarius Sneed left, how is the Chiefs' secondary handling that loss?
Oct 13, 2024; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Josh Downs (1) runs the ball as Tennessee Titans cornerback L'Jarius Sneed (38) defends during the second half at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images
JD: The L'Jarius Sneed ordeal was such a defining thing for Chiefs fans in the offseason, and while he was an absolute stud in Kansas City, Steve Spagnuolo's secondary has done just fine without him. In my opinion, Sneed's best quality was his versatility to play every cornerback spot. Throughout his time with the Chiefs, Sneed saw action as a nickelback, on the boundary, shading opponents' No. 1 receivers, and as a blitzer.
Does it hurt to lose an elite "Swiss Army Knife" defender?
Absolutely.
But, as with every other setback Kansas City has faced in the Patrick Mahomes era, it seems that the Chiefs are able to adapt to anything and come out the other side better for the experience.
NW: What'd you make of Travis Kelce's slow start and is he back?
Oct 7, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce (87) goes into motion prior to the snap during the first half against the New Orleans Saints at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images
JD: I don't think that Kelce ever went anywhere in the first place. We've gotten so used to Mahomes being able to find Kelce seemingly at-will over the years, and I think teams told themselves "We may lose to Kansas City, but we're not going to lose to No. 87," if that makes sense.
Maybe I'm a totally biased homer with no sense of objectivity when discussing things like this, but I think the spotlight on Kelce is just so bright that anything less than a performance where he puts up video game numbers will receive some sort of scrutiny from somebody.
Maybe Kelce is slowing down a bit, maybe his mind has started to wander and the off-field stuff he has going on took some kind of edge away.
But, as a Chiefs fan, I just don't buy that a five-game stretch means much at this point, and given Mahomes' issues with turnovers, some statistical regression from his top target is probably to be expected.
NW: What's the 49ers path to a win?
JD: This is the toughest question here. I legitimately don't know. There's that adage about "grasping defeat from the jaws of victory" when a team should have won but doesn't, and it's almost like the Chiefs constantly look like they're going to play one of those types of games until they inevitably win.
Kansas City has played some incredibly mediocre football this season, especially on offense, but the Chiefs just seem to have this clutch gene that turns on as soon as it looks like they're starting to slip.
The basic rules of football still apply, though. The game will still (likely) be won or lost in the trenches, and there are certainly basic things that the 49ers can do to make the Chiefs' lives more difficult (pressure Mahomes, limit penalties and turnovers, win the time of possession battle, etc.) but I'm not sure how to account for Kansas City's raw ability to win games in spite of themselves.
It's uncanny, and a variable I don't think can be accounted for in any meaningful way.
NW: What's your prediction?
Feb 11, 2024; Paradise, Nevada, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy (13) against the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVIII at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
JD: I think this will be a close game until the fourth quarter. Ultimately, the Chiefs' relative health and, again, that uncanny ability to just win games will help Kansas City remain undefeated for another week. I may have considered picking against the Chiefs if San Francisco was at full strength, but given the laundry list of injuries that the 49ers are dealing with, I just don't think it makes sense to pick against Kansas City.
Mahomes will probably continue to look average, Kelce might get clamped by San Francisco's secondary, and the 49ers might be able to put up points until crunch time, but the Chiefs are just such a tough nut to crack.
I'll call it a 28-18 win for Kansas City.