The 49ers (0-2) travel to Arrowhead Stadium for a 10:00 PT kickoff against the Kansas City Chiefs (2-0).
Matt Cassel starts at quarterback for Kansas City in his second year as the Chiefs' QB1. Todd Haley coaches Kansas City. Alex Smith starts again for the 49ers. Frank Gore at running back; Singletary continues to back Smith publicly.
The Chiefs are 2-0 after beating San Diego at home in Week 1.[1][2][3]
Two-and-oh Kansas City hosts the 0-2 49ers at Arrowhead Sunday morning Pacific time, the kind of cross-conference road game where the team with Super Bowl talk and an 0-2 start has to prove the wheels are not coming off.
Matt Cassel and Todd Haley have the Chiefs playing grind-it-out football. Jamaal Charles and Thomas Jones split the lead back work. Dwayne Bowe is the WR1. Alex Smith remains the 49ers' starter, Frank Gore the lead back.
Favored by Kansas City by 3. The kind of road game where 0-3 would change the season's direction and a win would reset the September narrative.
Week 3 begins to sort the early-September pretenders from the rest. The Chiefs (2-0) and 49ers (0-2) meet with Kansas City trying to extend a strong start and the 49ers trying to avoid an 0-3 hole that would put the playoff race effectively away by October. Around the conference the Saints, Packers, Falcons, and Eagles are leading the contender talk. In the NFC West the Cardinals are 2-0 with the Seahawks at 1-1 and the Rams 0-2. The road game is the kind of week where an 0-3 49ers team would change everything about the season.
Through two games the 49ers are 0-2 with a -28 point differential. Alex Smith averages 6.5 yards per attempt with one TD and four INTs. Frank Gore averages 75 rushing yards a game. Vernon Davis ranks 4th in NFL tight-end receiving yards. The Chiefs are 2-0 with Cassel posting an 86.4 rating. Jamaal Charles averages 5.3 yards per carry. Thomas Jones the early-down back. Vegas opens the Chiefs as 3-point home favorites; total 39.
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Miami Dolphins | 2-0 | W2 |
| New England Patriots | 1-1 | L1 |
| New York Jets | 1-1 | W1 |
| Buffalo Bills | 0-2 | L2 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 2-0 | W2 |
| Baltimore Ravens | 1-1 | L1 |
| Cincinnati Bengals | 1-1 | W1 |
| Cleveland Browns | 0-2 | L2 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Houston Texans | 2-0 | W2 |
| Indianapolis Colts | 1-1 | W1 |
| Jacksonville Jaguars | 1-1 | L1 |
| Tennessee Titans | 1-1 | L1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Kansas City Chiefs | 2-0 | W2 |
| Denver Broncos | 1-1 | W1 |
| Oakland Raiders | 1-1 | W1 |
| San Diego Chargers | 1-1 | W1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Arizona Cardinals | 1-1 | -- |
| Seattle Seahawks | 1-1 | L1 |
| St. Louis Rams | 0-2 | L2 |
| San Francisco 49ers | 0-2 | L2 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| New York Giants | 1-1 | L1 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 1-1 | W1 |
| Washington Redskins | 1-1 | L1 |
| Dallas Cowboys | 0-2 | L2 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago Bears | 2-0 | W2 |
| Green Bay Packers | 2-0 | W2 |
| Detroit Lions | 0-2 | L2 |
| Minnesota Vikings | 0-2 | L2 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| New Orleans Saints | 2-0 | W2 |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 2-0 | W2 |
| Atlanta Falcons | 1-1 | W1 |
| Carolina Panthers | 0-2 | L2 |
Reveal each quarter as you watch, the next quarter stays hidden until you tap it.
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| No scoring this quarter. | ||
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Chiefs | Dexter McCluster 31 yard pass from Matt Cassel ( Ryan Succop kick) | 0-7 |
| 49ers | Joe Nedney 51 yard field goal | 3-7 |
| Chiefs | Ryan Succop 32 yard field goal | 3-10 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Chiefs | Dwayne Bowe 45 yard pass from Matt Cassel ( Ryan Succop kick) | 3-17 |
| Chiefs | Tony Moeaki 18 yard pass from Matt Cassel ( Ryan Succop kick) | 3-24 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Chiefs | Thomas Jones 3 yard rush ( Ryan Succop kick) | 3-31 |
| 49ers | Josh Morgan 12 yard pass from Alex Smith ( Joe Nedney kick) | 10-31 |
Matt Cassel threw three touchdown passes and the Kansas City Chiefs beat the 49ers 31-10 at Arrowhead Stadium. Cassel finished 16-of-27 for 250 yards. Thomas Jones ran for 95 yards and a touchdown. Dwayne Bowe caught one of the touchdowns and Tony Moeaki another. Alex Smith threw for 232 and a touchdown to Vernon Davis but added an interception. Frank Gore ran 15 times for 43. The Chiefs improved to 3-0; the 49ers fell to 0-3.[1][2][3]
Matt Cassel threw three touchdown passes Sunday morning at Arrowhead. The Kansas City Chiefs blew out the 49ers 31-10 in the kind of cross-conference loss where the team with Super Bowl talk and an 0-3 start now has to coach the way a 6-10 team has to coach.
Frank Gore ran for 43 yards on 15 carries and caught nine passes for 102, the bulk of the 49ers' offensive production. Alex Smith threw a touchdown to Vernon Davis and finished 232 passing on 42 attempts. Thomas Jones ran for 95 and a touchdown. Cassel hit Dwayne Bowe for one score and Tony Moeaki for another.
The 49ers' defense, which had been the strength of the team in 2009, surrendered 250 passing yards to Cassel on 27 attempts. The Chiefs' rushing game ground out 207 total yards. The kind of road loss where the structural problems are at every position and the head coach's public statements look further from the field every week. 0-3 with Atlanta on the road next.
Chiefs 31, 49ers 10. Margin: -21. Three-game record: 0-3, -49 differential.
* Matt Cassel: 16-of-27 for 250, 3 TDs (Bowe, Moeaki, and 1 more), 1 INT.
* Thomas Jones: 19 carries for 95, 1 TD.
* Alex Smith: 23-of-42 for 232, 1 TD (to Davis), 1 INT, 68.7 rating.
* Frank Gore: 15 carries for 43; 9 catches for 102.
* Vernon Davis: receiving TD.
* KC rushing: 207 team yards.
* Chiefs 3-0; 49ers 0-3.
A 31-10 road loss at Arrowhead Stadium. The 49ers fall to 0-3 for the first time since 2007.
How it unfolded
Kansas City scored on its opening drive with a Thomas Jones run. The 49ers answered with a Joe Nedney field goal in the second quarter. Cassel hit Tony Moeaki for a touchdown to make it 14-3. Cassel threw a second touchdown before halftime to push it to 21-3. The third quarter was a Cassel-to-Bowe touchdown that ended the competitive portion. The 49ers' only touchdown came in the fourth quarter on a Smith-to-Davis hookup. The Chiefs ran out the clock.
The turning point
The Cassel-to-Moeaki second-quarter touchdown that pushed the lead from 7-3 to 14-3. Tight-end touchdowns from a backup tight end in a Cassel offense are the kind of mismatch the 49ers' defense, the team's identity in 2009, should be neutralizing. They could not.
By the numbers
Alex Smith 232 passing on 42 attempts with a TD and an INT. Frank Gore 102 receiving on 9 catches plus 43 rushing on 15 carries. Vernon Davis the receiving TD. Cassel 250 passing on 27 attempts with three TDs. Thomas Jones 95 rushing. Dwayne Bowe the TD.
Personnel watch
Gore as the offensive identity. The 49ers' new offensive line continuing to struggle in run blocking. Patrick Willis the defensive bright spot. The kind of road game where the defensive front, which generated zero sacks of Cassel, looked like an 0-3 defense rather than a 2009 top-five unit.
What it means
0-3 with the Falcons in Atlanta next Sunday. The kind of October the season needs to reset by, with another road game where the season's competitive question is officially open.
| Player | C/A | Yds | TD | Int | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | |||||
| Alex Smith | 23/42 | 232 | 1 | 1 | |
| KAN | |||||
| Matt Cassel | 16/27 | 250 | 3 | 1 | |
| Player | Att | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Frank Gore | 15 | 43 | 0 | 6 |
| KAN | ||||
| Jamaal Charles | 12 | 97 | 0 | 24 |
| Thomas Jones | 19 | 95 | 1 | 27 |
| Jackie Battle | 4 | 9 | 0 | 4 |
| Matt Cassel | 2 | 7 | 0 | 4 |
| Dexter McCluster | 2 | -1 | 0 | 4 |
| Player | Rec | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Frank Gore | 9 | 102 | 0 | 41 |
| Dominique Zeigler | 3 | 38 | 0 | 19 |
| Michael Crabtree | 3 | 37 | 0 | 22 |
| Vernon Davis | 3 | 22 | 0 | 10 |
| Josh Morgan | 1 | 12 | 1 | 12 |
| Nate Byham | 1 | 9 | 0 | 9 |
| Delanie Walker | 1 | 6 | 0 | 6 |
| Brian Westbrook | 2 | 6 | 0 | 5 |
| KAN | ||||
| Dexter McCluster | 3 | 69 | 1 | 31 |
| Dwayne Bowe | 2 | 61 | 1 | 45 |
| Jamaal Charles | 3 | 57 | 0 | 22 |
| Tony Moeaki | 4 | 44 | 1 | 18 |
| Tim Castille | 2 | 12 | 0 | 14 |
| Chris Chambers | 1 | 6 | 0 | 6 |
| Thomas Jones | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Find or start the canonical thread for this game on r/49ers. The thread title is deterministic so anyone running this Rewatch lands on the same place.
Find the thread Start the threadCanonical title: [Rewatch Party] 2010 W3 - 49ers at Kansas City Chiefs - Game Thread
