The Kansas City Chiefs are on an upward trajectory, their blistering start spearheaded by a young, transcendent quarterback in Patrick Mahomes who is already setting NFL records.
The San Francisco 49ers are the opposite in every way.
Not only were they soundly beaten on Sunday in a 38-27 loss at Arrowhead Stadium, trailing at one point by four touchdowns, they also lost their own franchise quarterback when Jimmy Garoppolo was carted off in the closing minutes with what could be a season-ending knee injury.
“Any time you lose your starting quarterback, that’s a big deal,” 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said.
The 49ers (1-2) signed Garoppolo to a five-year contract earlier this year after he led them to five consecutive wins to cap last season.
Everything turned in the fourth quarter, though, when Garoppolo scrambled toward the sideline.
His left knee buckled as he cut back, rather than step safely out of bounds, and Chiefs cornerback Steven Nelson delivered a wicked shoulder-to-shoulder shot for good measure.
C.J. Beathard wound up entering the game, threw a touchdown pass that was wiped out by offensive pass interference, and never got to take another snap as the Chiefs put the game away.
“It’s definitely a blow. He’s a great quarterback and obviously a great leader,” said Beathard, who started five NFL games last season before Garoppolo arrived in a trade with New England.
Meanwhile, the Chiefs (3-0) could not be happier with the performance of their young quarterback.
Mahomes threw for 314 yards and three touchdowns, giving him 13 this season without an interception.
That broke Peyton Manning’s NFL record for the first three weeks of a season.
Perhaps most impressive, though, was the way Mahomes spread the wealth. He targeted 11 different receivers, connected with eight and found three with touchdown throws.
“Pat lives for these moments,” said Chiefs wide receiver Chris Conley, who had one of the touchdowns.
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