One Major Issue the 49ers' Offense Must Correct for Long-Term Success

The issue they must correct soon is their run-blocking. It's been a major issue of theirs since Week 1, and part of why the offense hasn't flowed smoothly.

The 49ers rank 29th in run block win rate. per ESPN analytics. And they are ranked as the 30th offense in team run stuffed rate (23.2 percent), per Next Gen Stats.

To simplify it all, the 49ers stink in run blocking. This was the case last year, but it's taken a step back through three games in 2025 so far.

On the flip side, Christian McCaffrey has been magically making it work decently despite the mediocre run blocking. The 49ers are ranked No. 18 in team rushing success rate (42.7 percent).

That's astounding since the run blocking is near the bottom of the league. It's safe to say that McCaffrey hasn't lost a step.

Nevertheless, this isn't sustainable. McCaffrey has to work harder for yards and is exposed to more hits. And given how boring Brian Robinson Jr. has looked, they can't afford to be without McCaffrey.

It shouldn't be this difficult for the offensive line to block well. McCaffrey is only facing a stacked box 19.2 percent of the time, which places him in the middle of all running backs.

However, defenses are blitzing a player late to give a stacked box look post-snap. It's confusing the offensive linemen and forcing them to reroute who they're supposed to block.

The 49ers have to sure this up if they want their offense to move the ball down the field easier. With Nick Bosa lost for the season, the 49ers' offense will need to step up.

They can do that by putting up more points to give the defense some leeway. To score more points, they need to improve their run-blocking so that the offense can reach its full potential.

Once it's corrected, McCaffrey will have increased opportunities to generate explosive plays. One-yard gains will turn into five-yard gains instead.

Otherwise, the 49ers will have an uphill battle on every offensive series.

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