Why the 49ers' Loss to the Chiefs was their Little Big Horn

Not only was it a very embarrassing loss, but Kyle Juszczyk broke his finger, which will keep him out at least two weeks.

General George Custer didn't make it out alive and the 49ers season may not either.

They rushed to bring back Trent Williams, Nick Bosa, Jimmie Ward, Mike McGlinchey, Charvarius "Mooney" Ward and Dre Greenlaw. None of them played up to their standard. The absences of Arik Armstead, Azeez Al-Shaair and Javon Kinlaw have shown up prominently in the form of a lack luster run defense.

49ers rushing defense this season

With Armstead: 64 rushing yards per game allowed

Without Armstead: 111 rushing yards per game allowed

— Jordan Elliott (@splash_cousin) October 24, 2022

Not to take away from Andy Reid's masterful play calling, but DeMeco Ryans simply didn't have the horses to slow down Patrick Mahomes and company, as they scored six touchdowns without being forced to punt once. There was very little pressure on Mahomes most of the day. When there was pressure, Andy Reid regularly made the 49ers defense pay for it with screens and jet sweeps. Nick Bosa even lined up offsides two plays in a row.

The 49ers offense scored on many of their drives too, but came away with too many field goals rather than touchdowns. They didn't run the ball enough. Their tackles struggled to slow the Chiefs pass rushers and committed way too many penalties. Jimmy Garoppolo made way too many mistakes. He had three turnovers, including an interception on the goal line, a safety and a lost fumble. He also had 5 sacks, plus many more off-target passes -- several that easily could've been intercepted. There was at least one big third-down drop by Brandon Aiyuk, too.

The #49ers had:
* 1st-and-10 at the KC 19
* 1st-and-10 at the KC 27
* 1st-and-10 at the KC 12
* 1st-and-10 at the KC 34

And they came away with a total of 9 points. 4 possessions inside the opponent's 35-yard line can't result in 3 FGs (esp vs. Mahomes) and still expect to win.

— Akash Anavarathan (@akashanav) October 25, 2022

Special teams allowed a huge kick return when Ambry Thomas lost outside contain. As if letting the Chiefs begin their drive at mid-field wasn't bad enough, Jauan Jennings made a late hit hit out of bounds which advanced the Chiefs to near the 49ers 35-yard line before their offense ever took a snap. Jaylon Moore had a false start on field goal attempt, which took three points off the board that might've given his team a lead at halftime. Unforgivable.

Not only was it a very embarrassing loss, but Kyle Juszczyk broke his finger, which will keep him out at least two weeks, until after the bye. Dre Greenlaw pulled his calf muscle and is day to day. Deebo Samuel pulled his hamstring and is also day to day, so they both could miss the Rams game this Sunday at SoFi Stadium (Levi's South). Perhaps Samuel's injury hampered him during the game, as he didn't play his best.

The good news is that Christian McCaffrey looked explosive in limited usage and George Kittle had a breakout game.

The really good news is Arik Armstead may be able to play this week.

While I'm confident that Trent Williams, Nick Bosa, Jimmie Ward, Mike McGlinchey and Mooney Ward will all play better this week, I'm more confident that one more week of rest was probably the right call. Yes, I'm calling out Shanahan and his coaching staff, too.

The 49ers season isn't over, but this week at the Rams is close to being a must-win game. At least for now, the "Super Bowl roster" talk should cease. The 49ers simply aren't contenders when they're this banged up.