SANTA CLARA, Calif.—Relying on a big-play quarterback to carve up opposing defenses in the passing game remains the best path to offensive success in the modern NFL. But for teams that don’t have an accomplished passer like Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady or Patrick Mahomes, sticking to the ground can also work. “If you want to establish any type of dominance, especially in the trenches, I think it is necessary,” San Francisco 49ers left tackle Trent Williams said. “You got to run the ball. You got to make your opponents respect that.” The 49ers are one of several teams with less-than-elite quarterbacks that have relied on the run to get into playoff contention, along with Indianapolis, Philadelphia and New England. Perhaps no team has transformed as much as the Eagles, who flipped their script by running just 39 percent of the time the first seven weeks to a league-high 61 percent …