The San Francisco 49ers picked up a massive win on Thursday Night Football in Week 6. Their victory improved their record to 3-3 ahead of a highly anticipated battle with Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 7.
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Mahomes has been San Francisco’s boogeyman. The 49ers are 0-4 against Kansas City when Mahomes starts, and have allowed an average of 34.5 points per game. Notably, two of those defeats have come in the Super Bowl.
For Kyle Shanahan and Co. to finally beat the two-time MVP, their offense will have to avoid mistakes. But, more importantly, their defense will have to minimize Mahomes’ magic. That, of course, is easier said than done. But there are four ways the unit could prevent Mahomes from slicing them into pieces:
- Defensive Line Dominance
Teams that have had success against Mahomes in the past have applied pressure without blitzing. When you can make him uncomfortable with four defenders, you’re able to keep additional resources in coverage. Those players, in turn, can help prevent Mahomes from making the out-of-structure big plays he routinely pulls off.
The occasional blitz can pay dividends if you’re able to actually get Mahomes on the ground. But if you’re going to send extra bodies his way, you had better take a word of advice from Bill Belichick.
- Disguise Your Coverages
Peyton Manning and Belichick talked about the importance of camouflaging your plays versus Mahomes ahead of Monday Night Football last week. The 49ers would be wise to heed their recommendations. If Mahomes and Andy Reid know what defense you’re running, they’ll dissect you like a coroner.
To keep the duo on their toes, you have to make them think post-snap. Line up in Cover-2, and roll your safeties to Cover-1 or Cover-3. Invert the responsibilities of corners and safeties. Align your pressures to one side of the offensive line, but attack on the other. You can’t fall in love with any particular coverage, or they’ll make you pay.
- Don’t Let Mahomes Be Houdini
When is Mahomes most dangerous? When he gets outside the pocket, buys time and – almost inevitably – finds a wide-open receiver for a big gain. He has done it countless time in the past, and will do so frequently in the future. If you want to beat him, you have to keep him from terrorizing you out-of-structure.
Both of the above bullet points tie into this one. If you’re effective at pressuring Mahomes with four defenders and able to puzzle him through your disguises, he’ll become reliant on his “magical” abilities. And while that can lead to damage, it can also lead to turnovers. The less frequently he has the ball, the better.
- Utilize a QB Spy
Another perk of being able to get home rushing four defenders? Using a QB Spy. While Mahomes’ threat of deep completions is deadly, he’s just as adept and slinking his way past the first down marker to extend drives.
QB spies, by design, mirror the quarterback’s movements. Once he breaks the pocket, the spy will trigger and pursue him. The impending defender, in theory, forces Mahomes to speed up his thought process and make a decision sooner than he’d wish, resulting in incompletions, sacks, or turnovers.
This strategy has been effective in the past for multiple teams. In the 2022 AFC Championship game, the Cincinnati Bengals forced overtime by using defensive end Sam Hubbard to spy Mahomes. The Buffalo Bills even doubled down on the dose in a 2022-23 regular season affair, earning a 24-20 victory in part because they used two spies against him.
Sending Mahomes and the Chiefs home with a loss is difficult. You have to be effective and efficient in all three phases of the game. Sometimes, that’s not even enough. But the 49ers have the coaching, schemes, and talent to come out on top. They just have to go out there and prove it to themselves.
