Press conferences with assistant coaches aren't traditionally overly exciting events, but Thursday's media session with San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Steve Wilks is likely to spark plenty of intrigue.

Wilks can expect to face pointed questioning on one of the defining calls of the 49ers' 22-17 loss to the Minnesota Vikings on Monday, San Francisco paying the price at the end of the first half for a bizarre seven-man pressure call on third down with 16 seconds remaining.

The 49ers did not get home on the blitz and the extremely aggressive call backfired spectacularly as Jordan Addison wrestled the ball away from San Francisco cornerback Charvarius Ward and raced away for a 60-yard touchdown that put the Vikings up 16-7.

Per NextGen Stats, it was the first seven-man pass rush in the last 30 seconds of a half in opposing territory since Week 11, 2020, and choosing to send it made little sense at the time and still doesn't in hindsight.

Still can’t get over this call. Doesn’t make any sense. https://t.co/fxnk0FP2Ts

— Nicholas McGee (@nicholasmcgee24) October 24, 2023

The 49ers could quite easily have played a deep zone, given up a short completion and got to the half only trailing by three points. Instead, Addison's second touchdown proved decisive in a one-possession game.

It was a baffling play selection, though arguably in keeping with a performance did not play to any of their usual strengths on the defensive side of the ball.

San Francisco, renowned for its strength up front, did not sack Kirk Cousins once, leaving Nick Bosa to lament the performance of a much-vaunted defensive front.

"I mean we have a lot of really good players on the D-line and, obviously, a lot invested in it. We have to make plays when they are there. We got lulled to sleep by some of the protections. When those opportunities come you have to be ready for them. I’m not sure how it went for the other three guys. I can only focus on myself. There was definitely a couple opportunities there where I could have changed the game and I need to do that with the kind of player I’m supposed to be."

The 49er pass rush wasn't helped, at least in the first half, by continued struggles in run defense. San Francisco eventually stiffened against the Minnesota ground game in the second half and ended up only giving up 74 rushing yards, but too often in the first half did the Niners fall off tackles, an issue that continued when the Vikings attacked them with screen passes.

Poor tackling, shaky run defense and an anaemic pass rush is not a recipe for a successful defensive performance, and they have not been qualities associated with the 49ers on that side of the ball for some time.

Nor has a tendency for blitzing and, though it was assumed Wilks might throw a little more designed pressures into the mix, it's difficult to believe the fateful call late in the second quarter was what Shanahan had in mind when he hired DeMeco Ryans' replacement.

Asked if he was ok with a Cover 0 blitz in that situation, Shanahan replied: "That's stuff we'll discuss throughout this week. Obviously I did not like the result."

There will likely be tough questions asked of Wilks both internally and when he meets the media after a hugely disappointing defensive effort defined by a head-scratching and ultimately costly blitz.

It's too early to talk about changes to the coaching staff for a 5-2 team but, with the Cincinnati Bengals coming to town on Sunday, Wilks needs to come up with some better answers to get his group back on track and in a position to stop Joe Burrow turning a blip into a big concern for San Francisco.

The 49ers’ status as favorites vs. Bengals counts for little after second straight loss

They need to prove themselves all over again.