Defensive Coordinator Steve Wilks is a Problem for the 49ers
Steve Wilks took over an elite 49ers defense and made it mediocre.
It currently ranks 8th in the NFL in yards allowed, which is a big disappointment considering all the 49ers have invested into their defense. Last season, the 49ers gave up the fewest yards and points of any defense in the NFL. Then this offseason, they added Javon Hargrave to the defensive line. The defense in general and the pass rush in particular were supposed to get even better.
But they haven't. And now people are looking at new defensive coordinator Steve Wilks for answers.
Suddenly, despite having Nick Bosa, Arik Armstead, Randy Gregory and Hargrave, the 49ers pass rush is subpar. Last night against the Vikings, they sacked Kirk Cousins, a statue, a grand total of zero times. And for the season, the 49ers defense ranks 22nd out of 32 teams in pressure rate. That's not good.
When you dig deeper into the numbers, you see the 49ers rank 23rd in pressure rate when not blitzing, and 18th in pressure rating when they blitz. Which means they're bad at rushing the quarterback no matter how many defenders Wilks sends to sack the quarterback. They're not getting there. That reflects poorly on Wilks.
Whatever he's designing and calling isn't working. And he has no excuses, because he has great pass rushers.
It's important to remember that Wilks is a defensive backs coach at heart, and so his expertise is coverage, not creating pressure. The previous two defensive coordinators, DeMeco Ryans and Robert Saleh, were linebacker coaches at heart.
The 49ers might need a new defensive coordinator a.s.a.p.
