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3. Swarming Brock Purdy

Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

The Chiefs can’t bank on forcing the 49ers into obvious passing situations often. When it does get to plays like third-and-long, it’s essential that defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo and the Chiefs’ defense don’t waste a chance to heat up quarterback Brock Purdy.

For one, defensive tackle Chris Jones should rarely, if at all, rush from the edge in these situations: I believe caving the pocket from the front is vital to affecting Purdy’s vision downfield. I don’t see a reason to match up Jones with All-Pro left tackle Trent Williams consistently.

Instead, the Chiefs need to make Williams continually work by throwing speed rushes and end-tackle stunts at him, with athletic rushers like Mike Danna and rookie Felix Anudike-Uzomah.

It may not lead to penetration, but it frees up the Chiefs’ best rushers to attack the lesser blockers in the 49ers’ pass protection. It’s also vital for that wasted edge rusher to track Purdy if he tries to escape the pressure from the right side.

4. A decisive, clean Patrick Mahomes

Photo by Michael Zagaris/San Francisco 49ers/Getty Images

I find it remarkable that Chiefs’ quarterback Patrick Mahomes has gone six straight postseason games without throwing an interception; that stands alone as the longest streak in NFL history. The 49ers will provide quite the challenge to get to seven.

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San Francisco will present a heavy dose of zone coverage, something the Chiefs’ pass game struggled to make plays against for much of this season. Down the stretch, the ascension of rookie wide receiver Rashee Rice has been a huge part of Mahomes finding a newfound rhythm against zone coverage and taking attention away from tight end Travis Kelce.

To pry throwing windows open against the 49ers’ aggressive zone coverage, the Chiefs will need to constantly use pre-snap motions, misdirections, and play fakes to make defenders slow to their responsibilities.

Even then, Mahomes will need to be careful testing the closing speed of Warner and his running mate linebacker Dre Greenlaw. When they do discourage him, look for quick checkdowns. Scramble mode is less likely to work against zone and this athletic 49ers’ front seven.

5. Sure tackling

Photo by Michael Zagaris/San Francisco 49ers/Getty Images

The Chiefs’ defense has built a reputation for flying to the ball and taking the runner down with some emphasis. Safety Justin Reid leads by example, headlining a unit of physical coverage players that do not shy away from contact.

That attitude is required to defend the 49ers’ playmakers: McCaffrey, wide receiver Deebo Samuel, tight end George Kittle, wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk, and even fullback Kyle Juszczyk are all handfuls to get to the ground. That’s especially true once these players have a head of steam from a schemed-open touch.

All of Kansas City’s off-ball defenders have to harness a relentless mindset for the entire game. Missed tackles will happen, but the high effort from pursuing teammates can limit the damage.