SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Patrick Mahomes broke through as an NFL star based in part on his ability to launch deep balls and generate explosive plays for the Kansas City Chiefs with his big arm.
Brock Purdy's early success as a pro quarterback came more from getting rid of the ball quickly and letting the playmakers on the San Francisco 49ers do most of the damage.
The two star quarterbacks have undergone a stylistic change headed into their Super Bowl rematch on Sunday between the Chiefs (5-0) and 49ers (3-3), with Mahomes relying more heavily on the short passes and quick game and Purdy the one who is throwing deep.
According to NFL NextGen stats, Purdy's average throw this season has traveled twice as far beyond the line of scrimmage as Mahomes' and Purdy has the smallest share of his yards passing coming after the catch (32.8%) while Mahomes has the highest (66.7%).
Mahomes has his fewest yards passing per game (247) and TD passes (six) through five games.
“I think everyone says down year just because their numbers aren’t just crazy, but Pat is as good as it gets,” 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said. “He’s been as good as it gets since the first year that he got to play.”
The Niners have had a front-row seat to it in two of Mahomes' three Super Bowl wins. He rallied Kansas City from 10 points down in the fourth quarter to win it all following the 2019 season and then capped last season's Super Bowl by leading four straight scoring drives to end a 25-22 overtime win last season.
The 49ers know how dangerous Mahomes can be if he's throwing deep, getting the ball out quickly to Travis Kelce or extending plays with his legs.
“He’s able to get the ball far distances really fast so you don’t need that much separation," defensive end Nick Bosa said. “Then the way he creates plays. He likes to pump-fake people and make them miss and run for first downs when you need him. His running ability is kind of underrated.”
The Chiefs were plenty impressed with Purdy after going up against him in the Super Bowl when he came close to pulling out the win. That's only been reinforced with his play this season.
“I can’t find a weakness in this quarterback," Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo said. "Every time I put the film on, I’m more and more impressed.”
Second chances
Kareem Hunt never thought he’d be back in Kansas City, where he was released six years ago. But when Isiah Pacheco was lost to a broken fibula, the Chiefs signed Hunt, who had spent the past five years in Cleveland but had not signed anywhere after last season because of sports hernia surgery.
In his first game as the starting running back, Hunt ran for 102 yards and a touchdown in a 26-13 win over the Saints.
Second chances, part 2
JuJu Smith-Schuster parlayed a good season in Kansas City in 2022 into a big contract with the Patriots. But he appeared in just 11 games for them last season and was subsequently released. The Chiefs signed him when Rashee Rice joined Marquise Brown on injured reserve, and Smith-Schuster had a big game against the Saints, catching seven passes for 130 yards.
“I always have pressure on myself, whether guys are playing or not,” he said. “It’s something I’ve always lived with.”
Protection
The Niners lost the Super Bowl in part because they couldn't block Chris Jones on some key plays down the stretch, including a third down in the red zone in overtime. Rookie right guard Dominick Puni, who has fared well early, will get plenty of opportunities to test himself against Jones on Sunday.
“He’s one of the best D-tackles if not the best one in the league, so I’m excited for it,” he said. “It’s going to be a great matchup and I hope it propels me for the rest of the season.”
Just for kicks
Covering kicks has been an issue this season for the 49ers, who allowed a kickoff return for a TD last week by Seattle’s Laviska Shenault. San Francisco has struggled to kick the ball into the end zone after an injury to Jake Moody. San Francisco has allowed an average return of 32.6 yards, fourth worst in the NFL.
“We’ve got to get better kickoff coverage,” Shanahan said.
Bye, bye, bye
Reid is 21-4 after regular-season byes dating to his time with the Eagles, the best winning percentage of any NFL coach with at least 10 games under them. But one of those losses came last season to, coincidentally, the Eagles.
Reid said this week he couldn’t recall having a bye so early in the season, though, and that changes the dynamics a little bit. Kansas City will now play 12 straight weeks, though some of those involve weeknight and Saturday games that could provide the Chiefs with some additional rest before or afterward.
“It as good to get this one,” Reid said, “and how we handle the rest of the schedule is the important part.”
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