Kurtenbach: The ideological battle at the heart of 49ers-Chiefs

Is Sunday’s Chiefs-49ers game a rivalry contest?

Seeing as the 49ers haven’t beaten Kansas City in a decade — and how they infrequently play each other — such a distinction is a stretch.

But there is a fundamental disagreement at the core of this game — one that will likely decide this, the fifth meeting of the teams since the Niners last won in 2014.

Building an NFL team is, in many cases, simple accounting. There is an annual salary cap, it cannot be overtaken, and coaches...