SF 49ers: Dissecting the Most Crucial Matchups in the Week 5 Contest vs. Chiefs

The San Francisco 49ers battle the Kansas City Chiefs in an important early-season contest for both teams. The 49ers and Chiefs have identical 2-2 records and are each coming off victories.

Let's take a look at three key matchups. The winners of these critical matchups will help put their team in the best position to win.

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The first matchup to watch is Kansas City tight end Travis Kelce vs. 49ers strong safety Antoine Bethea. Kelce leads the Chiefs with 18 receptions for 259 yards. He also has two touchdowns.

Kelce has quickly become a favored target for quarterback Alex Smith, so Bethea will need to be on top of his game to contain Kelce. 

Last Sunday, Bethea played, arguably, his best game as a 49er. He made seven tackles and also got his first interception of the season. He will need to come up with another stellar effort to contain Kelce.

There may also be times when the 49ers have a linebacker on Kelce. Michael Wilhoite did a good job in coverage against the Eagles and may also draw the assignment against Kelce in certain situations.

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The second critical matchup to focus on is between the 49ers' right tackle Jonathan Martin and Chiefs outside linebacker and pass-rusher Justin Houston.

The San Francisco offensive line has not played well, especially in pass protection. Against the Eagles, Joe Staley, Alex Boone and Anthony Davis all struggled at times. Davis was injured and replaced by Jonathan Martin. The result with Martin in at right tackle was equally mediocre.

The Chiefs have two very strong pass-rushers in Tamba Hali and Justin Houston. Giving quarterback Colin Kaepernick time to throw will be a tall order for a 49ers offensive line that has not fared well in pass protection.

Hali will go up against Joe Staley and that will be a very interesting battle. Staley struggled last Sunday against the Eagles and he must play better against Hali. In 2013, Hali had 11 sacks and he already has three this year.

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However, the matchup that will be even more critical to the 49ers' success is on the right side of the San Francisco offense, with Jonathan Martin going up against Justin Houston.

Martin started the 49ers' first three games of the regular season and was very inconsistent. He was benched in favor of Anthony Davis, who was returning from injury. However, Davis was hurt again and Martin replaced him.

Davis could miss the game against the Chiefs, so Martin will need to contain Houston. This is a daunting task, as Houston leads the Chiefs with five sacks. Like Hali, Houston also had 11 sacks in 2013.

If Houston has his way against Martin, the 49ers offense will be in trouble. They will need to chip him with a tight end and also keep a running back in for added protection. 

The third crucial matchup to watch is between Kansas City wide receiver Dwayne Bowe and San Francisco cornerback Perrish Cox.

At 6'2" and 221 lbs., Bowe is a tall, rangy wide receiver, in his eighth season with the Chiefs. He currently has 11 catches for 153 yards and will give Cox all he can handle.

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Cox is starting in place of the injured Tramaine Brock. He played perhaps his best game as a 49er this past Sunday against the Eagles. Cox had an interception and recovered a fumble. He was also in good position in pass coverage. 

Alex Smith returns to San Francisco and 49ers fans will get a chance to compare his play with that of Kaepernick. Although not a matchup where the two play against each other, it will be very interesting to watch two distinctly different quarterbacks attempt to lead their respective teams to victory.