Defeating the Kansas City Chiefs has been impossible for the San Francisco 49ers.
Since Kyle Shanahan became head coach, the 49ers are winless against them in four games. They will get their fifth crack at the Chiefs this Sunday at home. As usual, it won’t be an easy win. The Chiefs are undefeated and are still regarded as one of the best teams in the league.
Meanwhile, the 49ers are trying to break from the middle of the pack. They have not looked like one of the best teams in the league. It’s been a shaky start for them, but it can all change with a rare win over the Chiefs. One way to increase the chance of winning is by making one offensive star the focal point.
The 49ers need to feature George Kittle against the Chiefs. One strength of the Chiefs’ defense is their ability to play man-to-man coverage. The Chiefs have played man coverage on two-thirds (66.7 percent) of their total snaps with a single high safety this season, the second-highest rate in the NFL behind the Jaguars (72.0 percent), per Next Gen Stats.
The Chiefs have allowed 6.1 yards per attempt when playing man coverage this season. Guess who is elite against man coverage? It’s Kittle. He has caught 14 receptions for 114 yards and three touchdowns against man coverage this season, five more receptions than any other tight end.
Kittle also leads tight ends with +4.1 receptions over expected and +12.1 receiving EPA (expected points added) against man coverage. I think it’s safe to say that Kittle needs to be a featured player early and often for the 49ers. Paging Kyle Shanahan. Do not let Kittle be forgotten again.
He only caught two balls on three targets for four yards against the Chiefs in last year’s Super Bowl. Had he been involved more, perhaps the 49ers would have been victorious. Instead, Shanahan had Kittle be used as a last-minute check-down outlet more times than not.
Deebo Samuel cannot be the featured offensive star for the 49ers in this game. He is terrible against man coverage because he cannot run routes smoothly. Chances are that he gets matched up with star cornerback Trent McDuffie who is lining up in the slot 28.8 percent of the time.
That is another reason why making Kittle the focal point is brilliant. He isn’t going to draw McDuffie as often. If he does, then that is a perfect time to target Brandon Aiyuk. This is what makes having several All-Pro and Pro Bowl-caliber players in an offense amazing. If one or two options are bottled up, then there is another one for the 49ers to look to.
First and foremost, they have to feature Kittle early. It is their chance to amend the mistake from the Super Bowl. He is made to excel in this matchup. Let him prove it and make up for his lack of opportunities eight months ago.
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