After just one season, 49ers D-coordinator Steve Wilks is fired.
INSANITY, California Steve Wilks has left his position as defensive coordinator for the San Francisco 49ers after just one season.
Coach Kyle Shanahan of the Niners stated, “This morning I relieved Steve Wilks of his duties,” during a conference call on Wednesday that was planned only ten minutes in advance. We’re going to switch around at defensive coordinator in the end. It was a really difficult choice to make because it speaks very little about Steve’s character as a man or as a football coach. He’s just the kind of man we’ve always wanted, really. He coaches football really well.
However, considering our team’s direction and current status from a scheme perspective and other related factors, as well as the events of the past few days, I felt rather strongly that this was the right course of action for the company.”
On Tuesday, Shanahan largely sidestepped inquiries on Wilks’ potential two-season extension as defensive coordinator. While he acknowledged that he needed more time to process his thoughts toward his workers, he did state that he anticipated seeing the majority of them return.
By Wednesday AM, Shanahan claimed to have come to the realization that “going a different direction” was “something that I have to do.”
There were ups and downs for the defense during Wilks’ one and only season with the Niners. Under DeMeco Ryans, a team that led the NFL in 2022 in a number of categories—including fewest points allowed per game (16.3) and defensive anticipated points gained (89.58)—retreated in 2023.
Although the 49ers were ninth in defensive EPA (41.48) and caused major leaks against the run in the postseason, allowing the Green Bay Packers, Detroit Lions, and Kansas City Chiefs to average 5.1 yards per carry and 149.3 yards per game, San Francisco still finished third in points allowed (17.5) this season.
Shanahan accepted some of the blame for those difficulties, stating that he wanted Wilks to manage the same structure that had worked for Ryans and Robert Saleh before him.
I understood that would be difficult “said Shanahan. “It was very difficult to lose DeMeco. The previous year, losing Saleh was difficult. We had made a commitment to the players who had previously played in the system, whether they were linebackers or members of our defensive line. They had spent so much time playing in it.
“I wanted to avoid having to replace them all, so I tried to bring in Steve, who was incredibly devoted, and he tried to make the adjustment, but it didn’t work out. And although I was hurting, I had no choice but to do this.”
Following a 5-0 start in which the defense appeared unbeatable, Wilks saw some setbacks. Before the half, Shanahan publicly chastised him for an all-out blitz call that gave the Minnesota Vikings a touchdown in a Week 7 loss. Shanahan requested Wilks to go from the booth to the field on game days during the Week 9 bye.
In addition, with 2:48 remaining in overtime of the Chiefs’ Super Bowl loss on Sunday, Shanahan called a defensive timeout because he didn’t think the play looked good. The play put the Chiefs on a second-and-6 at San Francisco’s 37.
Defensive end Nick Bosa remarked following the Chiefs’ victory that the Niners weren’t ready for some of the running plays that quarterback Patrick Mahomes was supposed to utilize. During Tuesday’s locker cleaning, Bosa provided an evaluation of Wilks’ 2023 campaign.
“I think he does a great job with the back end, and obviously we had some issues this year throughout the year,” Bosa stated. “But that’s part of playing a full season, and I think we were playing our best ball at the end.”
Linebacker Fred Warner provided a more upbeat assessment of the game, pointing out that the Niners tied for first place in the league with 22 interceptions and finished fifth in takeaways (28).
defensive end After the Chiefs’ triumph, Nick Bosa said that the Niners weren’t prepared for some of the running plays that quarterback Patrick Mahomes was expected to use. While cleaning out the locker room on Tuesday, Bosa gave a review of Wilks’ 2023 campaign.
“I think he does a great job with the back end, and obviously we had some issues this year throughout the year,” Bosa said. “But that’s part of playing a full season, and I think we were playing our best ball at the end.”
A more optimistic analysis of the game was offered by linebacker Fred Warner, who noted that the Niners tied for first place in the league with 22 interceptions and took fifth place with 28 takeaways.
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