San Francisco’s fake punt sinks Chiefs

The much-ballyhooed homecoming for Alex Smith came down to a fake punt.

Instead, the Chiefs’ first visit to $1.2 billion Levi’s Stadium ended in a 22-17 loss when Smith’s final pass was intercepted by Perrish Cox with 2 minutes to play.

Smith appeared to have gotten the best of the Colin Kaepernick, the man who replaced him during the 49ers drive to the Super Bowl in 2012.

The Chiefs, protecting a one-point lead early in the fourth quarter, stopped the 49ers on a third-and-one at the San Francisco 29.

But the 49ers caught the Chiefs by surprise with a fake punt that helped produce Phil Dawson’s fourth of five field goals and a 19-17 lead with 8:42 left in the fourth quarter.

The Chiefs defense had ravaged Kaepernick, sacking him three times in a span of five plays in the third quarter, and when Tamba Hali stoned 49ers running back Frank Gore for no gain at third-and-1 at the 29 early in the fourth quarter, the Chiefs appeared ready to add to a 17-16 lead.

But the snap on the punt went to blocking back Craig Dahl, who burrowed his way for three yards, sustaining the drive. Three plays later, veteran Brandon Lloyd, a Blue Springs native, made a leaping, circus catch over Chiefs cornerback Sean Smith on third-and-nine for 29 yards to the Chiefs’ 39.

The Chiefs defense stiffened, but Dawson’s 27-yard field goal gave San Francisco the 19-17 lead.

The Chiefs appeared to be in position for a go-ahead score when they forced the 49ers to settle for a 54-yard field goal attempt with 4:19 left in the game.

But, inexplicably, they were called for having 12 men on the field, and the 49ers maintained possession that ended with 30-yard field goal by Dawson.

The Chiefs took a 17-13 lead early in the third quarter thanks to the first two touches of rookie DeAnthony Thomas’ career.

After the Chiefs defense forced the 49ers into a three-and-out on the opening drive of the second half, Thomas fielded Andy Lee’s punt and returned it 28 yards to the Kansas City 42.

Jamaal Charles burst 26 yards to get the ball in the scoring zone, and Thomas took it from there, catching a swing pass, shedding the tackle of safety Antoine Bethea and streaking down the sidelines behind the block of center Rodney Hudson for a 17-yard touchdown.

The 49ers drew within 17-16 with a 52-yard field goal by Phil Dawson, and San Francisco was fortunate to come away with points at all, after a false start and sacks by the Chiefs’ Justin Houston and Allan Bailey in a three-play span (the other was a 2-yard loss on a run by 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick) moved San Francisco back from the Chiefs’ 20 to the 49ers’ 34.

The 49ers led 13-10 at halftime, and the Chiefs only had themselves to blame for trailing.

Two penalties — one on offensive tackle Ryan Harris and one on defensive lineman Allen Bailey — proved critical in the 49ers’ go-ahead touchdown, a 9-yard pass from Colin Kaepernick with 31 seconds left in the half.

Chiefs coach Andy Reid chose to go for a fourth-and-1 at the San Francisco 40 midway through the second quarter, but right tackle Ryan Harris jumped off sides, forcing a punt. Dustin Colquitt does what he does best, pinning the 49ers deep, at their 7.

It was Colquitt’s fifth straight punt downed inside the 20 and 11th in 17 punts this season.

But the 49ers marched 93 yards for the longest scoring drive against the Chiefs this season.

Reid unsuccessfully challenged the spot on a 7-yard scramble by Kaepernick that picked up a first down on the third play of the drive. Then, when Kaepernick threw incomplete on a second-and-10 from the Chiefs 18, Bailey was called for a personal foul when he struck the quarterback in the head.

Instead of third-and-10, the 49ers had first and goal from the 9, and Kaepernick found Johnson in the corner of the end zone, well behind cornerback Marcus Cooper for the touchdown and 13-10 lead.

Each team scored on its first two possessions, but the Chiefs scored a first-quarter touchdown for an early 10-6 lead while the 49ers settled for a pair of Phil Dawson field goals.

Smith and the Chiefs came out smoking hot, driving 81 yards in a time-consuming, touchdown drive, capped by a 2-yard touchdown flip to tight end Travis Kelce with 8:37 left into the first quarter.

Smith completed of six of eight passes for 61 yards on the drive, converting a third-and-1 pass for 13 yards to tight end Anthony Fasano; a third-and-3 to slot receiver Junior Hemingway for 12; and a third-and-goal from the 2 to Kelce. It was Kelce’s third straight game with a touchdown catch.

The 49ers’ Dawson sandwiched field goals of 31 and 55 yards around a 42-yarder by Chiefs rookie Cairo Santos early in the second quarter.

This story was originally published October 5, 2014 at 6:41 PM with the headline "San Francisco’s fake punt sinks Chiefs."