One Thing Holding Back the 49ers from Being the Super Bowl Favorite

Through four games, it's hard to find a reason not to pick the 49ers to win the Super Bowl this season.

Sure, they have a ton of injuries, just like most years. But they're still undefeated, they have the highest-rated quarterback in the NFL, future Hall of Famers at left tackle, running back, tight end, wide receiver and linebacker, an elite offensive play caller and an outstanding defensive coordinator, and a ton of cap space plus enough picks to make a serious trade before the deadline. At the minimum, they should reach the NFC Championship Game this season.

But should we expect the 49ers to actually win the Super Bowl for the first time since 1995?

Before the season started, general manager John Lynch said he wanted to make sure the 49ers had a dominant defensive line this season. Most Super Bowl-winning teams have excellent pass rushes, if not excellent defenses. Through four games, the 49ers certainly have a good defense, but they don't have a good pass rush.

The 49ers have just six sacks this season -- seventh-fewest in the league. Their big offseason addition, Osa Odighizuwa, has zero sacks. Which means Lynch hasn't accomplished the goal he set for himself when the offseason began.

Because the 49ers have virtually no pass rush, they have intercepted just one pass this season. They can't pressure quarterbacks and force them into rushing and making mistakes. At least not right now. Which makes you wonder how they'll fare when they face an elite quarterback who's mobile such as Patrick Mahomes.

Maybe the 49ers' defensive line will become dominant when Nick Bosa and Mykel Williams return. And maybe Lynch will make a big trade for a serious pass rusher such as Khalil Mack. If those things happen, the 49ers will have no glaring weaknesses.

But Lynch hasn't made a big move yet. And Williams might take a few months before he returns to his peak performance, considering he missed the entire offseason and isn't close to being in football shape yet, even if his surgically repaired knee is healthy.

And then there's Bosa. On Monday, head coach Kyle Shanahan spoke to the media on a conference call and ruled out Bosa for Sunday's game against the Seahawks. Didn't even wait until the first practice of the week on Wednesday to see how Bosa and his injured calf are doing.

I'm skeptical that Bosa will return to form this season. He's recovering from this second ACL tear in the same knee, and the second surgery typically takes 12-18 months to fully recover. So far this year, Bosa hasn't shown that he can practice fully or play more than two games in a row without getting reinjured. Until he shows otherwise, the 49ers should assume that he won't make a full recovery this season.

That's why the 49ers desperately need to trade for an edge rusher before the deadline. Williams is not an edge rusher -- he's an interior rusher. And Bosa might not be fully healthy for a long time.

Let's see how serious the 49ers are about winning a Super Bowl this year. How they act at the trade deadline will reveal so much.

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