The one thing the 49ers must improve to become Super Bowl Contenders

It's not what you think.

San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan. | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

The 49ers currently are the No. 2 seed in the NFC with a record of 5-2. And yet, if the playoffs started this weekend, the 49ers would not truly be Super Bowl contenders. Their team has one major flaw.

I'm not talking about the defense, even though Nick Bosa and Fred Warner are out for the year. Defensive coordinator Robert Saleh is doing a masterful job with the players at his disposal, as we witnessed this past Sunday night when the 49ers held the Atlanta Falcons to just 10 points. Through seven weeks, the 49ers have given up just 19.7 points per game -- the seventh fewest in the entire NFL.

Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

I'm not talking about the special teams, either. Eddy Pineiro is the hottest kicker in the league right now. He has made all 17 of his field goal attempts since joining the 49ers in Week 2. They might be 2-5 instead of 5-2 right now if they didn't have Pineiro.

And that's because the offense has scored just 20.7 points per game, which is tied for 23-most in the NFL. The team they're tied with is the Carolina Panthers, who aren't exactly an offensive powerhouse.

And that means the 49ers could trade for an All-Pro edge rusher to replace Nick Bosa, someone such as Maxx Crosby or Trey Hendrickson, and they still wouldn't be true Contenders. Because the last team to win a Super Bowl that averaged fewer than 21 points during the regular season was the 1990 New York Giants.

The 49ers probably can win 12 games this season just because their schedule is so weak. But to make real noise in the playoffs and potentially win the Super Bowl, they'll have to figure out a way to score more touchdowns. And if Kyle Shanahan hasn't figured it out by now, the solution might be a trade.

Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

The 49ers offense moves the ball up and down the field just fine. But when the 49ers get inside the opponent's 20-yard line, they're one of the worst offenses in the league, considering they're scoring touchdowns just 47 percent of the time, which is eighth-worst in the league.

In the past, Shanahan could call screens or reverses or handoffs to Deebo Samuel, and he could power his way into the end zone. Now, he's a Washington Commander, and the 49ers have no one who can replace his skillset and his touchdowns.

We'll see how the 49ers address this issue. The return of George Kittle will help, but he won't be enough.