Are the 49ers Using Steve Wilks as a Scapegoat?
One and done.
The San Francisco 49ers have officially relieved defensive coordinator Steve Wilks of his duties. Head coach Kyle Shanahan revealed the decision on Wednesday afternoon via conference call.
"This morning I relieved Steve Wilks of his duties," said Shanahan. "Going to end up making a change here at defensive coordinator. Really tough decision because it really says nothing about Steve as a man or as a football coach. He is exactly what we wanted as a man. He is a great football coach.
"But just where we're going and where we're at with our team from a scheme standpoint and things like that, looking through it all throughout the year, through these last few days, I felt pretty strongly that this was the decision that was best for our organization."
This was a move that should come as no surprise. Yesterday during his exit press conference, Shanahan was noncommittal on Wilks returning. All of his answers were vague, which meant at the very least his future was in flux. Turns out that Shanahan was already leaning that way and elected to pull the plug on Wilks. But the firing of Wilks at this time can be looked at in a certain way.
The 49ers' defense did give up two game deciding drives in the final two series of the Super Bowl. This firing of Wilks can be looked as if they are throwing him under the bus. So, are the 49ers using Wilks as a scapegoat for the Super Bowl loss to the Kansas City Chiefs?
Absolutely not. I get how it seems given the timing and all, but the 49ers' defense was formidable in the Super Bowl. And yes, they crumbled in the end, but so did their defense, a much better version, in Super Bowl 54 as well. His firing is not because of that game. Wilks being fired is simply due to him not being a fit. It's been evident all season long.
Look no further than after the Week 7 matchup with the Minnesota Vikings. The 49ers' defense ran an all-out blitz at the end of the first half, which ended up giving the Vikings a stronger lead and momentum going into halftime. Shanahan had reprimanded Wilks publicly following that game for it. He practically was blaming Wilks for that loss to the Vikings.
"He knows he messed up on that call," said Shanahan. "I have no problem with zero blitzes, especially when people need a lot of yards. If you need to get 20 yards to kick a field goal, I have no problem with a zero blitz. But I do when there's 16 seconds left. That's where he lost track. There was no necessary need for that just because of the time. I have no problem with that play call, but when it's that time you can't do that. That's not an option.”
Wilks would end up issuing an apology and admitting his mistake for the call the very next day. Ultimately, this was a move that had been brewing as the season played out. It started with the Vikings game, then after the Bye week Shanahan forced Wilks down to the sideline. Lastly, Nick Bosa said after the Super Bowl that they were not prepared for Patrick Mahomes to run a keeper on the fourth down play in overtime.
The 49ers' defense was not bad at all this season. They were excellent, but compared to their prior seasons, this was easily their worst defensive performance. Wilks never had an easy task given he had to run the 49ers' system. It's basically like learning a new language, and he couldn't ever fully adapt. Now, he is out after one year.
