One Thing Kyle Shanahan Needs to Improve on

Steve Spagnuolo ate Kyle Shanahan's lunch in the Super Bowl.

Somehow Spagnuolo found a way to shut down Christian McCaffrey and the 49ers' running game while simultaneously overwhelming the 49ers' protection schemes in the passing game. The Chiefs were able to generate nine free rushers, meaning pass rushers who were completely unblocked and unaccounted for, and these free rushers won the game for them.

Now Shanahan has to adjust.

The Chiefs subpar run defense never should have been able to limit McCaffrey to just 3.6 yards per carry, but it did. That's because they often played six defenders on the line of scrimmage and Shanahan couldn't figure out a way to run into that front. So he countered by calling empty formations -- five wide receivers with no one in the backfield. Which means five blockers with no one to help.

The Chiefs consistently took advantage of the 49ers' protection schemes and brought one more rusher than the 49ers could block, and that was the difference in the game. Usually, Brock Purdy can beat the blitz by throwing quick passes, but the Chiefs played bump-and-run man-to-man coverage specifically to take away those easy throws, and Shanahan had no answers.

Instead of countering with empty backfield formations, he could have kept additional players in to block so the offense wouldn't get outmanned. Or he could have given his quarterback the power to audible at the line of scrimmage once he sees where the blitz is coming from. Quarterback currently do not have the power to audible under Kyle Shanahan.

Whatever the solution is, Shanahan better find it fast.