What the 49ers Should Take Away from Super Bowl LVII

Defense no longer wins Championships -- not in the era of Patrick Mahomes.

The 49ers had to notice that when they watched Super Bowl LVII. Neither team's defense made an impact. Both offenses marched down the field at will. Pass rush never was a factor. The Eagles statistically had one of the greatest pass rushes in NFL history, and they sacked Mahomes a whopping zero times.

To beat the Chiefs in the Super Bowl, you have to outscore them. Period. You can't beat with them your defense.

The 49ers tried to beat them with their defense in the 2020 Super Bowl and failed. The defense played great for three quarters, then collapsed and gave up 21 points in the final 15 minutes.

The 49ers didn't lose that Super Bowl because their defense collapsed -- that was inevitable against Kansas City. They lost because they scored only 20 points. And they scored so little because their quarterback and offensive line were subpar.

Now the 49ers have a new quarterback -- Brock Purdy. And with him, they scored more than 30 points per game this season. But they couldn't keep him or any of their quarterbacks healthy. And now he has to have a major surgery to repair and possibly reconstruct his throwing elbow.

For the 49ers to win the Super Bowl, they'll need to keep their quarterback, whoever that is, upright. And to do so, they'll need to invest much more heavily in their offensive line.

The 49ers tend to go cheap on their O-line so they can spend big on skill positions -- running backs and wide receivers. Meanwhile, the Chiefs do the opposite. They traded Tyreek Hill, because they see wide receivers and running backs as cheap and replaceable assets. Instead, they invest in their quarterback and their offensive line, which is one of the best in the league.

The 49ers offensive line is mediocre at best. Trent Williams is the NFL's best left tackle, but Aaron Banks is average, Jake Brendel is a free agent, Spencer Burford is sub par and Mike McGlinchey is a free agent who used to be a good run-blocker, but even that part of his game has deteriorated, as most of the 49ers big runs went to the left this season.

The 49ers need to sign an upgrade over McGlinchey this offseason. I suggest Kaleb McGary, the best run-blocking right tackle in the NFL.

In addition, the 49ers need to trade up and draft a center. They need to make their offensive line a legitimate weapon, not a weakness Kyle Shanahan has to scheme around weekly. This requires a fundamental shift in the 49ers' roster-building philosophy.

Let's see if they make the shift.