Steve Wilks "knows he messed up" on blitz call in 49ers' loss to the Vikings
One of the most bemusing plays of the San Francisco 49ers' stunning loss to the Minnesota Vikings on Monday was the decision by defensive coordinator Steve Wilks to call a zero blitz with 16 seconds left in the first half. It was a call that backfired spectacularly as the Niners failed to get home on […]
One of the most bemusing plays of the San Francisco 49ers' stunning loss to the Minnesota Vikings on Monday was the decision by defensive coordinator Steve Wilks to call a zero blitz with 16 seconds left in the first half.
It was a call that backfired spectacularly as the Niners failed to get home on the pressure and rookie wide receiver Jordan Addison won a fight for the ball with 49ers corner Charvarius Ward before racing into the endzone.
As a result, the 49ers went into the half trailing 16-7 instead of only being down by three points. In a game they eventually lost by a 22-17 margin, it was a crucial mistake.
Shanahan said immediately after the game that he and his staff would have conversations about that call, and those discussions apparently involved Wilks conceding he made a grave error of judgement.
“Yeah he knows, you guys I think talk to him tomorrow, he knows he messed up on that call," Shanahan said in his Wednesday press conference ahead of Sunday's meeting with the Cincinnati Bengals.
"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."
Though Wilks went away from convention on that play, the 49ers still blitz at the fifth lowest rate (21.2%) in the NFL, per Pro Football Reference.
After Monday's nightmare defensive performance, it would be a surprise to see the Niners increase their number of designed pressures in Week 8, especially against a quarterback in Joe Burrow who has traditionally excelled against the blitz.
First 49ers injury report for Week 8, vs. Bengals
There was at least some good news.
