Fred Warner has played in two Super Bowl games against Patrick Mahomes and still hasn’t figured out a way to beat him. The 3-3 San Francisco 49ers will attempt to defeat the 5-0 Kansas City Chiefs in a Super Bowl rematch, and things are even worse this time, especially on the offensive side of the ball. At the same time, there are some issues with the defense as well.

The 49ers linebacker’s recent statement about the upcoming matchup might make Niners fans anxious. If Warner wants to disrupt the Chiefs’ flawless record, he and the rest of the defense must find a way to make Patrick Mahomes’ life difficult. A key part of that would be stopping Travis Kelce’s moves, but holding them off isn’t as easy as it sounds.

“Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, two of the greats in the game. How do you stop them? I don’t know. We’re still trying to figure that out. We got some extra time, extra days to try to figure that out before game day, but you got to make their life hard and don’t give up any freebies and try to limit the amount of big plays that they’re able to make,” Warner said in a conversation with GOAT Farm Sports.

Warner couldn’t do much in the Super Bowl 58 against the Kansas City Chiefs. He recorded 13 total tackles, 9 of which were solo. However, things were a bit different during Super Bowl 54. Not only did Warner pick off Mahomes, but he also recorded 5 solo tackles and defended a pass. But this time, it might be even harder to stop Mahomes from working his magic.

That’s because the San Francisco 49ers are dealing with a myriad of injuries on the defensive side of the ball. Right tackle Jordan Elliott is listed as questionable, linebacker Dre Greenlaw is out, and cornerback Charvarius Ward, and safety Malik Mustapha are also listed as questionable. Additionally, many third-string defensive players are currently on injured reserve.

Despite all of this, Fred Warner remains determined to bring Mahomes down. In an interview with Markus Boucher of KNBR, Warner mentioned that he’s played Mahomes four times now, and beating the Chiefs’ quarterback would help erase the bitter taste of the 49ers’ previous losses.

“We haven’t (I have yet) to beat him. I think I’ve played against him maybe four times now and have yet to beat him. I think it’s an important game for us to try and get over that hump,” Warner admitted to KNBR. Winning against the Chiefs will require effort from not just Warner, but the entire roster—unfortunately, many of them are still unfit to take the field.

Fred Warner and the defense isn’t the only problem for the Niners

The Bay Area team lost their kicker Jake Moody to an ankle sprain, and he’s listed as doubtful. Reports suggest he’ll miss a couple of weeks due to the injury. He’s already missed a game against the Seattle Seahawks. So, will the Niners just ignore all extra points? Certainly not. The team has brought in veteran kicker Matthew Wright as a placeholder for Moody.

Other injuries on the offensive side of the ball include Christian McCaffrey, Jordan Mason, and Ricky Pearsall, all of whom are pivotal to the Niners’ offense and have been absent for a while, except for Mason. While we’re well aware of the situation with McCaffrey and Pearsall, there’s some good news regarding Jordan Mason’s shoulder injury. He was seen practicing in a blue non-contact jersey, indicating he might be back on the field soon.

Mason’s running style involves lowering his shoulders to absorb contact, and if he takes any more hits, he could be sidelined for the rest of the season. The San Francisco 49ers rank 17th in passing yards allowed (215.2) and passing touchdowns allowed (8), and 11th in total defense this year. They were better last year and still lost to the Chiefs.

However, things may improve moving forward, especially since the Kansas City Chiefs are missing Rashee Rice, Isaiah Pacheco, and Hollywood Brown. The Bay Area team still stands a chance.