Seven 49ers to watch vs. Chiefs: CMC is two players in one

SANTA CLARA -- The 49ers already have won the week.

Now, they have an actual football game.

The 49ers play Sunday at Levi’s Stadium against Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs.

This certainly is a marquee game in the NFL, and the 49ers added another headliner to their roster with a trade to acquire running back Christian McCaffrey from the Carolina Panthers.

The 49ers are 3-3, and coming off a disappointing loss to the Atlanta Falcons.

Even before the trade, coach Kyle Shanahan said he views his team as a contender in a balanced conference.

“I think we're right there with everyone else,” Shanahan said. “I think most of this league is pretty close in the same spot. There's a couple teams that are ahead of everyone and there's a couple teams behind everyone. I believe we have just as good a chance as anyone in this league though.”

McCaffrey arrives in Santa Clara to join his new teammates just two days before the Week 7 kickoff against Kansas City. And it is not of the question he could fit into an immediate role with the club before unpacking his suitcase.

Here are the individuals to watch when the teams square off in a rematch Super Bowl LIV, in which Kansas City rallied from a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit for a 31-20 victory:

5. QB Jimmy Garoppolo

Mahomes and the Chiefs have far-and-away the best offense the 49ers have faced this season.

While that provides the 49ers with a challenge on defense, it also means the 49ers’ offense will have to step up and do a lot of things better.

Shanahan might need more from Jimmy Garoppolo and the 49ers’ passing game to stay in this game. It helps that his supporting cast got a whole lot better late in the week.

Garoppolo is coming off a game in which he threw for 296 yards -- his most passing production since Week 18 of the 2021 season.

Garoppolo could have easily had 400 yards through the air if not for a couple of deep passes that were dropped and a 39-yard completion called back on a penalty.

Garoppolo will need to help the 49ers put up some points and avoid the kinds of giveaways that have crushed the team in their three losses.

4. LB Fred Warner

While Nick Bosa and Charvarius Ward were out last week, linebacker Fred Warner clearly was the team’s best defensive player.

However, he did not exactly come through with a standout performance in the Week 6 loss in Atlanta.

The 49ers need a big bounce-back game from Warner on Sunday.

In the 49ers’ Super Bowl loss to Kansas City three seasons ago, Warner came up with an interception of Mahomes in the third quarter. The 49ers turned it into a touchdown and a 20-10 lead.

The 49ers might need Warner to make an impact play on Sunday if they are going to pull the upset.

He will face a stiff challenge any time he is matched against Travis Kelce, the top pass-catching tight end in the NFL.

3. CB Deommodore Lenoir

With veteran cornerback Emmanuel Moseley out for the season with a torn ACL, there is little doubt quarterbacks will target Deommodore Lenoir.

Kansas City’s offense no longer has the dynamic threat of Tyreek Hill, but Mahomes still has plenty of other options at his disposal to attack the 49ers’ secondary.

And with Charvarius Ward’s status up in the air due to a groin injury, Lenoir will have to step up even further against one of the league’s best aerial attacks.

2. Defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans

It’s not entirely clear who will be available -- and how effective they can be -- along the 49ers’ defensive line or defensive backfield.

Therefore, there will be a lot on the shoulder of 49ers defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans to play to the strengths of his personnel and have his unit prepared to face the high-powered Chiefs.

The 49ers must find a way to generate pressure on Mahomes without exposing themselves too much with blitz packages that will allow the star quarterback to get the ball out quickly and create big plays.

Also, the 49ers will face one of the most unique and creative red-zone offenses in the league. Kansas City coach Andy Reid will likely have some surprises to unveil inside the 49ers’ 20-yard line, so Ryans must get the defense prepared for anything they might see.

1. TE George Kittle

Sunday marks National Tight Ends Day, and the best in the league will be on the field at Levi’s Stadium.

That’s right, Kelce will provide the 49ers’ defense with a huge challenge.

On the other side, this would appear to be a prime opportunity for 49ers tight end George Kittle to raise his game as an offensive play-maker.

The 49ers might need a big day from Kittle to keep pace with one of the best offenses in the NFL.

Kittle has appeared in four games this season. He is coming off his best game on Sunday against the Falcons. He caught eight passes for 83 yards.

Kittle has not accounted for 100 or more receiving yards since back-to-back games of 181 yards (Seattle) and 151 yards (Cincinnati) in Weeks 13 and 14 of last season.

1 (a). Christian McCaffrey, the runner

It remains to be seen if the 49ers carve out a package of plays for McCaffrey on Sunday. If they do get him in uniform, they are getting two players in one.

Let’s start with McCaffrey, the running back.

There was been a different leading rusher in each of Shanahan’s first five seasons as the 49ers' head coach.

If McCaffrey remains healthy for the balance of the season, it should be six different top ground-gainers for the 49ers in six seasons.

McCaffrey appeared in the Panthers’ first six games. He carried 85 times for 393 yards and two touchdowns. He currently is at his career average of 4.6 yards per rushing attempt.

RELATED: McCaffrey trade gives 49ers something special now, in future

Jeff Wilson filled in admirably for Elijah Mitchell, who has been out since Week 1 with a knee injury. Mitchell is making strides toward getting back on the field for the 49ers after the bye week.

The 49ers can still use multiple running backs when everyone is healthy, but McCaffrey is now clearly the main guy for the rest of the season.

1 (b). Christian McCaffrey, the receiver

Then, there’s McCaffrey, the pass-catching threat out of the backfield.

McCaffrey is similar to Deebo Samuel, a receiver who is adept at lining up in the backfield and running the ball. McCaffrey is a running back who is equally as effective as a route-runner and receiver.

McCaffrey creates issues for opposing defense, especially on third downs and red-zone opportunities. He can break down defenders and create immediate separation for Garoppolo to put the ball on him for yards-after-the-catch opportunities.

McCaffrey gives Shanahan and Garoppolo another top options when the 49ers also have Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk and Kittle on the field.

McCaffrey is coming off a game against the Los Angeles Rams in which he caught seven of eight passes thrown his way for a season-high 89 yards.

In 2019, McCaffrey joined the elite group of NFL players with 1,000 yards rushing and receiving in the same season. Roger Craig did it first in 1985.

RELATED: 49ers' trade for McCaffrey from Panthers comes with plenty of risks

Marshall Faulk accomplished the feat in 1999 in his first season with the St. Louis Rams. He went to the Rams in a trade with the Indianapolis Colts, and was a key figure in the Rams’ Super Bowl-winning season that year. The 49ers made the trade for McCaffrey hoping he can provide similar results.

McCaffrey already has 33 receptions for 277 yards this season. He averaged 51.4 yards receiving in his 64 games since the Panthers selected him with the No. 8 overall pick of the 2017 NFL Draft.

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