Something is missing with Kyle Shanahan.

He’s a good coach who has accomplished so much before the age of 45, but he still hasn’t won a Super Bowl. And now he’s the only head coach in NFL history to lose two Super Bowls in which he held 10-point leads. So he needs to change something about the way he coaches.

But Shanahan hasn’t changed much since he became the 49ers head coach in 2017. And he has had the same offensive philosophy since he first became an NFL offensive coordinator in 2007. And that’s why even his best offenses often get shut down by elite defenses.

With Christian McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel, George Kittle, Brandon Aiyuk, Trent Williams and Brock Purdy all on the same team, the 49ers offense should be completely unstoppable. But it’s not, because its offensive line is subpar.

Despite all the talent the 49ers have on offense, they can’t dictate to opponents who have excellent defensive lines. Can’t run the ball when the defense knows a run is coming and can’t pass the ball when the defense knows a pass is coming. The 49ers always have to trick the opposing defense. And that’s why Shanahan is so important.

If the 49ers had a good offensive line, anyone could coach their offense and score 30 points per game. But the 49ers don’t have a good offensive line, so they need Shanahan to work around it.

Shanahan will grow when his ego finally realizes that his team needs a good offensive line.