The San Francisco 49ers ran into a buzzsaw when they lost to the Seattle Seahawks in the divisional round, and the New England Patriots just found out the hard way, too, being dominated by the Hawks in Super Bowl 60 on the Niners' home turf at Levi's Stadium.
Seattle's top-ranked defense shouldered the load, and the Niners have to recognize not only the need to implement an elite defense of their own but to also deploy an offense that can outmuscle the Hawks, both during the regular season and in the playoffs.
Complicating matters is the fact San Francisco's current nucleus of star talent is on the older side, and even head coach Kyle Shanahan admitted his roster needs to get faster and more dynamic entering 2026.