This time last week, the Kansas City Chiefs vs. San Francisco 49ers game looked like a Week 5 matchup that wouldn't be worth tuning in for. The Chiefs sat at 1-2, having already lost to the lowly Tennessee Titans and division rival Denver Broncos, and there was no certainty that Jamaal Charles was close to returning from an ankle injury. The 49ers, coming off back-to-back losses, were answering questions about whether Jim Harbaugh had lost the support of his locker room.
Chiefs vs. 49ers 2014: Online streaming, time, TV schedule, radio and more
San Francisco and Kansas City have each gotten off the slide recently. Which one can keep the positive vibes going?
Peter Aiken
Fast forward to Sunday and both teams are 2-2 and on the upswing. The Niners bounced back from an 11-point deficit to take down the Philadelphia Eagles last week, while Charles proved his ankle is just fine with a three-touchdown game in the Chiefs' surprisingly lopsided 41-14 win over the New England Patriots.
But good moods rarely last too long in the unforgiving NFL. By the end of the day, one of these two teams will be below .500 once again, and right back to having to answer questions.
Both of these teams will lean on the ground game when they have the ball. The Chiefs rank fourth in the league in rushing yards, and that's with Charles having missed time. Knile Davis proved to be more than an adequate fill-in, and now that Charles is healthy, they form one of the top duos in the league. The 49ers, as always, lean on the tough-running Frank Gore, but have seen some strong early returns on rookie Carlos Hyde.
One area of interest will be along the Kansas City offensive line. The Chiefs lost both starting guards and their starting left tackle in the offseason, and it showed early on. But they gave up just one sack and four hurries against the Patriots and will get right tackle Donald Stephenson back from suspension this week. San Francisco has just five sacks on the season, so the Chiefs could be on track to keep Alex Smith upright for most of the game.
How to Watch
Where: Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara, Calif.
When: 4:25 p.m. ET
TV: CBS
Online Streaming: Verizon NFL Mobile, NFL Sunday Ticket (subscription)
Odds
Despite the Chiefs’ big blowout of the Patriots, the 49er opened as 7.5-point favorites at home, according to OddsShark. The over/under for the game opened at 44.5 points.
Further Reading
For more on the Chiefs, be sure to read Arrowhead Pride. For more on the 49ers, check out Niners Nation.
See More:
