The 49ers have not won in Kansas City since 1982.
OK, maybe it’s not as bad as it seems. After all, that streak consists of just four games. But the past three games have been Chiefs blowout victories of 44-9 in 1997, 41-0 in 2006, and 31-10 in 2010.
Arrowhead Stadium is considered one of the most difficult outdoor venues for opposing teams in the NFL. And things should be rocking on Sunday when second-year quarterback Patrick Mahomes makes his first start at home.
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Here are four 49ers who can help spoil what the folks in Kansas City expect to be a festive day.
LB Reuben Foster
Foster returns to action on Sunday after missing the first two games of the season due to a suspension for violations of the NFL’s policies on substances of abuse and personal conduct. His presence should provide a boost to the 49ers, who got uneven play at the weakside linebacker spot during his absence.
Foster is a dynamic playmaker who should help offset some of Kansas City’s speed advantage. Foster is likely to start, alongside middle linebacker Fred Warner, giving the 49ers a player who can range sideline-to-sideline to track down explosive running back Kareem Hunt.
San Francisco 49ers
The 49ers also expect veteran linebacker Malcolm Smith to make his 49ers debut after missing all of last season with a torn pectoral and the first two games this season with a hamstring injury. The 49ers will undoubtedly find a way to get Smith on the field with Foster and Warner.
RB Matt Breida
The 49ers must match Kansas City’s big-play ability with some of their own. Veteran running back Alfred Morris is the grinder. Breida is the home-run hitter.
Breida enters Sunday’s game as the NFL’s leading rusher with 184 yards on just 22 rushing attempts. In the 49ers’ 30-27 victory over the Detroit Lions last week, Breida accounted for 159 yards from scrimmage. His 11.4 yards per touch was the highest verage for a 49ers running back since Frank Gore averaged 11.7 yards per touch in game against Seattle in 2009.
The 49ers must establish their outside zone running game, which should help slow down the Kansas City pass rush in order to enable quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo to make some plays down the field.
CB Ahkello Witherspoon
The 49ers’ first two opponents have virtually ignored their receivers on the side of the field where Richard Sherman lines up. On the other side, Witherspoon has seen a lot of action. And that does not figure to change this week after he struggled in coverage against the Lions.
Witherspoon is not 100 percent, as he nurses an ankle injury. But he the 49ers say he is expected to play. If he is cleared to play and he says he can play, he is held to the same standard as everyone else. Mahomes will test Witherspoon early and often. And if Witherspoon is not up to the task, especially in attempting to run with wide receiver Tyreek Hill, the 49ers will have to consider once against taking him off the field in order to give the team its best chance of coming out of Kansas City with a victory.
TE George Kittle
Kittle had a big game in the opener at Minnesota, and it could have been a whole lot better. Last week, he was not a big part of the team’s game plan.
This week, he might be needed to quickly beat man coverage in the middle of the field and make plays as Garoppolo and the 49ers’ offense will aim to quiet the boisterous crowd at Arrowhead Stadium.
Garoppolo was sacked six times against Detroit, and a lot of the 49ers' problems stemmed from the receivers’ inability to get open quickly. That is where Kittle must excel, in order to give Garoppolo quick and easy solutions to beat the pressure. Kittle has seven catches for 112 yards through two games to lead the team, and he might need to have a huge game for the 49ers to pull off the upset.