The Chiefs are 6-0 for the first time in the Patrick Mahomes era, and their unconventional win over the 49ers — with help from “Papa Bod” — is proof of that

Patrick Mahomes didn't seek contact.

But as he scampered down the middle of the pocket on fourth-and-goal, the Kansas City Chiefs quarterback pushed forward to cover the yard all the way to the end zone.

And the 225-pound father of three didn't let a rookie safety touch his left shoulder stop him.

Malik Mustapha of the San Francisco 49ers was thrown back when Mahomes scored the game-winning touchdown while standing.

“I actually didn’t try to lower my shoulder,” Mahomes said. “I was trying to absorb the hit because I was going to be right in the end zone. But this dad is a guy, man. Had enough weight on me where he went down.

“In the end it just looked good to me.”

The Chiefs' performance looked better than Mahomes' passing stats in their 28-18 win over the San Francisco 49ers.

The first 6-0 start of Mahomes' career came on a day when he posted the lowest passing percentage of his 102 career games.

Mahomes' pass rate of 44.4 was about half as high as his pass rate of 88.9 this season and was well below the average pass rate of 102.9 he posted over the course of his career.

And yet: his team won by 10 points.

Part of that reflects the many contributions of teammates and coaches, including Mahomes and head coach Andy Reid — the two most respected architects of the Chiefs dynasty — who are careful to praise everyone but themselves.

And part of that reflects Mahomes' ability to not only consistently command defensive attention and respect, but also to adapt his strengths to what he needs when he needs them.

No, the quarterback's six passing touchdowns and eight interceptions this season are not the winning formula.

But do the Chiefs really need to rely on a single formula to win games?

“Patrick had a few turnovers himself, but they win these tough games,” 49ers tight end George Kittle said. “(They are) a team that knows how to win.”

There was a no-fly zone at the Chiefs vs. 49ers

A chaotic game day was ironic.

An entertainment-focused league showcasing its reigning conference champions would undoubtedly prefer a shootout full of spectacular offensive highlights.

Instead, Mahomes completed 59% (16 of 27) passes for 154 yards, Brock Purdy completed 54.8% (17 of 31) for 212 yards. On a day full of injured receivers and swarming defensive fronts, there was no passing touchdown left.

Purdy threw three interceptions while Mahomes threw two.

The Chiefs quarterback was experienced enough to know two things: He didn't have a successful passing day. And besides, none of his interceptions were the result of poor decisions or poor mechanics.

A pass was aimed at an open receiver but was instead deflected at the line of scrimmage and intercepted by defensive tackle Kalia Davis. On the other hand, rookie receiver Xavier Worthy lost his footing, and 49ers defensive back Deommodore Lenoir took advantage.

“I was going in the right direction, in the right place, but sometimes you're unlucky,” Mahomes said. “I still have to clean it up and I have to work on it. There are too many interceptions that give our defense trouble.”

Mahomes praised his teammates as they led a 184-yard rushing day, Kareem Hunt scored 78 yards and two touchdowns while Mahomes finished second with 39 and one.

The running game was enough for a 4-of-5 day in the red zone. And Mahomes' acrobatics, coupled with three interceptions by the Chiefs defense, was enough to get the team into the red zone.

Be it a shovel pass that somehow traveled a full eight yards or a second-down scramble that led from a backfield tackle to a 33-yard gain, the Fox broadcast team couldn't hide their amazement.

Tom Brady laughed about how Mahomes had broken every quarterback rule he'd learned, and the color analyst added that Bill Belichick was “at home right now pulling his hair out” while watching Mahomes' plays that were wrong that they were right.

Play-by-play analyst Kevin Burkhardt added his own “How did he do that?” as Mahomes led several pump fakes and an apparent deal with the sideline devil for the Chiefs' longest play of the day.

“I was just trying to get the first ball and then get out of bounds, but the guy overran it or got blocked there somehow, and when I was on the sideline it opened up and I was able to get down there,” Mahomes said. “I was thinking about reducing it. But I'll save that for the playoffs. And right now I’m just going to keep running out of bounds.”

What an unusual start to the Chiefs' season in terms of postseason viability

What else could the league's only undefeated team save for the playoffs?

A team that seems to be getting better around Mahomes should worry the rest of the NFL.

The Chiefs appear to have found a fountain of youth for Hunt at running back, and Spagnuolo's defense is as stifling and confusing as ever.

Despite a severely weakened receiving corps, the 49ers' offense posted its worst third-down mark of the season with just two of 11 attempts (18%). Only against the 5:1 Minnesota Vikings (2 out of 10) did the 49ers' success rates fall below 40%.

San Francisco trailed by more than 41 minutes of play.

“You can’t sugarcoat the fact that we got a kick in the ass today,” 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said.

Mahomes emphasized his need to improve, particularly in the passing game, for the Chiefs to reach the level he believes they are capable of.

For a quarterback more than ready to take on that responsibility, it's encouraging to know that the room for improvement is within his control – and the Chiefs, with the league's best record, have a fast track to a postseason berth.

Mahomes' confidence came through when he was asked if it was less easy for his team to win this season.

There are no mistakes in their 6-0 record. But it includes wins over last year's final two postseason opponents, the Baltimore Ravens and now the 49ers.

“I don’t want to say it won’t be easy because we win games against good teams with a good number of points,” Mahomes said. “I just don’t think this is normal for us. There weren't a lot of passing touchdowns, there were a lot of turnovers, especially for me, and I think that just shows the versatility.

“It’s not just about me, it’s not just about the stats and the light show and things like that. It's about team football. And I think if we continue to work, we'll get better offensively and be able to throw the ball down the field.

“Until then, it’s just nice to know that we have a great running game and a great defense and are able to perform whenever it’s time to win football games.”

Dad and everything.