What Warner, 49ers looking to prove in tough matchup vs. Chiefs originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Fred Warner and the 49ers are looking to do something they never have done: beat Patrick Mahomes.
San Francisco is winless in four regular-season and playoff games against Kansas City with Mahomes under center, with two of those losses — Super Bowl LIV and Super Bowl LVIII — the most devastating.
The 49ers (3-3) face off against Mahomes and the Chiefs (5-0) on Sunday at Levi’s Stadium in a Week 7 matchup that has the potential to be one of the best games of the 2024 NFL season.
Warner joined KNBR 680’s “Murph & Markus” on Tuesday to discuss the upcoming slugfest with the 49ers’ postseason rival.
“I think this is an important game for us,” Warner said. “One, because of where we’re at in the season. We haven’t had the start that we would have wanted, but we got that win on Thursday night and put ourselves in a position to do everything we want to do going forward. And [two], we’ve got to prove to ourselves that we can win against great football teams in this league.
“The Chiefs are undefeated this year and still at the top of their game and they’ve still got 15 back there and I have yet to beat them. I think I played against him maybe four times now and have let to beat him so I think it’s an important game for us to try and get over the hump and get this win.”
Warner, who intercepted Mahomes in Super Bowl LIV, already has two picks and four forced fumbles this season. While he certainly would love to generate more timely takeaways against Mahomes and the Chiefs, the veteran linebacker will be focused on the bigger picture.
“Listen, whatever it takes. At the end of the day, I’m just doing whatever it takes to win … any of those punchouts and interceptions and things like that, they’re great statistical-wise and everything like that, but at the end of the day I just want to do whatever it takes to win,” Warner explained. “If I finish with two tackles and we win the game, like hey, we did whatever it took to win the game.”
In addition to Mahomes, Warner is preparing to face tight end Travis Kelce, who he, as a linebacker, has become quite familiar with over the years.
“It’s just having an awareness, really, of knowing where he’s at at all times, and you realize with those off-schedule plays you’ve got to cover a little extra longer than what you’re probably used to,” Warner said of matching up with Kelce. “So you’ve got to put your track cleats on, get ready to run all day and eat a good breakfast before because it’s going to be a long day.”
Warner and the 49ers’ defense will have their hands full, and there’s no question they are extra motivated to secure a win over the future Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback.
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