The 49ers found out the date and time of one of their biggest games of the season early.
The San Francisco 49ers haven’t gotten their full schedule released yet, which is expected later Wednesday, but two games have already been leaked: Week 1 versus the New York Jets on Monday Night Football and Week 7 against the Kansas City Chiefs at Levi’s Stadium.
While the latter one has drawn significant attention, as it’ll be the return of Aaron Rodgers following an Achilles tear suffered in Week 1 last season, the second game has been equally as relevant, as the 49ers will get a chance to avenge their Super Bowl loss in their home stadium.
San Francisco has faced off against the Chiefs several times over the past few years, but have failed to get over the hump against star quarterback Patrick Mahomes, both in the regular season and the playoffs.
With that said, how important is the team’s Week 7 matchup against the Chiefs?
Looking at the history between the two teams during the Patrick Mahomes era, the Chiefs have bested the 49ers in all four matches, winning twice in the Super Bowl and twice in the regular season.
The most recent game at Levi’s Stadium came in 2022 when the Chiefs walloped the 49ers 44-23 in a brutal loss at home for San Francisco, as they faltered significantly in the second half and couldn’t keep up with the turnovers.
Now, the stage has been set for the 49ers, who will look to enact their revenge against Kansas City later this year, albeit in the regular season.
Looking at the logistics of the game, this one doesn’t seem that integral for San Francisco, as it’s within the first half of the season and, more importantly, isn’t a conference or division game that could ultimately impact tiebreakers in the playoffs.
But, given the storyline behind the two teams, it feels that San Francisco needs some success against Kansas City as they attempt to get over the hump against a team that has consistently gone deep into the playoffs.
Week 7 provides that opportunity in the first half of the season, and a loss shouldn’t also impact the 49ers’ records severely, especially when considering the playoff race and its tiebreakers in the NFC East.
Additionally, the 49ers have a number of tough games slated for their 2024 schedule, including the Dallas Cowboys, Green Bay Packers Detroit Lions, and Los Angeles, which are mainly all at home.
If they can pull off a major win against a few of those teams, the 49ers are in good shape with their odds next season, and the Kansas City Chiefs are firmly in that mix.