The Kansas City Chiefs became the NFL’s only undefeated team after dominating their Super Bowl rematch with the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday.
While it proved to be another day to forget for Travis Kelce – as he once again flattered to deceive without Taylor Swift cheering him on – Kareem Hunt rushed for two first-half touchdowns to lift the Chiefs to a 28-18 victory in San Francisco to help.
Patrick Mahomes completed 16 of 27 passes for 154 yards with two interceptions for Kansas City, but the legendary quarterback came into play after ripping off a career-high 33 yards run to set up a key fourth-quarter touchdown to make.
Mahomes also brutally picked off a Niners defender before rushing for that touchdown late in the fourth quarter.
The visitors defeated San Francisco 184-101 and possessed the ball for more than 35 minutes to triumph again seven months after their dramatic Super Bowl win in Las Vegas.
The Chiefs became the NFL’s only undefeated team by cruising to victory against the 49ers
Despite the reigning champs marching on, Kelce was once again largely absent from the Chiefs offense as girlfriend Swift continued her Eras Tour in Miami.
49ers quarterback Brock Purdy completed 17 of 31 passes for 212 yards but threw three interceptions, two of which ended potential scoring drives in the second half.
It turned out to be a dramatic encounter at Levi’s Stadium, with Niners offensive lineman Trent Williams getting ejected late for hitting Chiefs safety Bryan Cook with a stunning burst.
San Francisco wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk was also carted off after suffering a gruesome leg injury toward the end of the first half.
After their loss, Niners head coach Kyle Shanahan expressed fears that Aiyuk would suffer a possible season-ending torn ACL before leaving the game.
San Francisco pulled within 14-12 with 10:29 left in the third quarter when Purdy rushed from one yard out for the first of his two touchdowns, but the 49ers failed to make the two-point conversion. It was driving for a possible lead when Purdy was picked off by Chris Roland-Wallace on the 21-yard line.
Travis Kelce struggled again as the Kansas City Chiefs cruised past the San Francisco 49ers
Taylor Swift didn’t cheer on Kelce and the Chiefs as she continued her Eras Tour in Miami
Kansas City then ripped off a 79-yard, 13-play drive that lasted nearly seven minutes. Mahomes’ big run set up first and goal at the 4 and he scored on a fourth-down run from the 1 with 14:13 left in the game.
After Purdy’s third interception, the Chiefs sealed the outcome by marching 80 yards in 6:20. Mecole Hardman nailed an 18-yard touchdown run with a jet sweep with 3:09 left for an insurmountable 28-12 lead.
Purdy added his second 1-yard scoring run at 1:08, but the 49ers could not tack on the two-point conversion or recover an onside kick, sealing the outcome.
Kansas City took a 14-6 lead at halftime when Hunt, who finished with 78 yards on 22 carries, scored on runs of 1 and 6 yards in the second quarter.