The San Francisco 49ers have had a successful 2023 NFL season with a 12-5 record and making it to Super Bowl 58. However, they have a fatal flaw that will doom them in the Super Bowl. Let's take a closer look at the 49ers' season, their potential weak link, and how it will impact their chances in Super Bowl 58.

49ers' 2023-24 campaign so far

The 49ers 2023-24 campaign has gone very well. They finished as the top team in the NFC and marched through the playoffs to make it to the Super Bowl. Granted, they had to crawl back from a huge deficit against the Detroit Lions.

However, they still made it happen. Right now, young quarterback Brock Purdy is under a huge amount of pressure going into the Super Bowl as he looks to help guide the San Francisco 49ers its first title since 1995.

Key to the Niners' hopes of getting over the hump after successive losses at this stage in the last two seasons will be ensuring that their quarterback is not under consistent duress once the game with the defending champs gets underway. Here we will look at the San Francisco 49ers' fatal flaw that will doom them in Super Bowl 58 vs. the Chiefs.

Offensive line

The 49ers' offensive line has had some struggles throughout the season. This weakness will be exploited by the Chiefs' defense, which has been one of the best in the league. The Chiefs' pass rush should be a formidable foil against the 49ers.

Purdy is coming off an NFC title game performance in which he was sacked twice and hit nine times. He finished with a sub-90 passer rating, though he did come up big when it counted the most in the second half.

Still, we can say he generally struggled in a narrow win over the Lions, especially in the first half. The Niners' signal-caller was frequently under pressure and struggled to deliver accurately as the Lions' interior rush consistently took away room for him to throw from a stable platform and step into his attempts.

In terms of pass rush, the challenge gets no easier in the Super Bowl against the Chiefs. Andy Reid's front is pretty much elite when it comes to reaching the opposing QB.

Their 3.2 sacks per game are second behind the team they just beat, the Baltimore Ravens. They're also coming off sacking Lamar Jackson four times in their AFC title game.

Justin Reid, George Karlaftis, Tershawn Wharton, and Charles Omenihu each had one sack there. Of course, there's also their regular-season sack leader, Chris Jones, who's hungry for his first sack this postseason.

For the Niners, these guys create potential mismatches against 49ers offensive linemen like Colton McKivitz and Trent Williams.

OL struggles

To be fair, the 49ers' offensive line has not been terrible. They have allowed their QBs to be sacked just 1.9 per game in 2023-24. They also allowed just two sacks from the Lions.

Still, those nine hits could impact Purdy in very negative ways. And well, the Chiefs' pass rush seems to be peaking at just the most opportune time.

The impact on Super Bowl 58

The 49ers' offensive line performance will be a major factor in Super Bowl 58. Again, the Chiefs' defense has been one of the best in the league.

They have a talented defensive line, who will punish the Niners if they're not careful. The Chiefs' defense will be looking to exploit the 49ers' offensive line weaknesses and put pressure on Purdy.

The 49ers will need to make adjustments to their offensive line if they want to have a chance at winning Super Bowl 58. They will need to improve their communication and execution and find ways to neutralize the Chiefs' pass rush.

The 49ers may also need to rely more on their running game, which has been a major strength this season. Running back Christian McCaffrey has been the most effective rusher this season, bar none.

He has averaged 5.1 yards per carry this postseason along with four touchdowns. The 49ers will continue to give him more carries and try to establish the running game early in the Super Bowl.

Looking ahead

The San Francisco 49ers have had a successful 2023-24 NFL season, but their offensive line struggles will be their fatal flaw in Super Bowl 58. The Chiefs' defense has been one of the best in the league, and they will be looking to exploit the 49ers' offensive line weaknesses.

The 49ers will need to make adjustments to their offensive line and find ways to neutralize the Chiefs' pass rush if they want to have a chance at winning Super Bowl 58. It will be a tough challenge, but the 49ers have the talent and coaching to overcome their offensive line struggles and win the Super Bowl.