There are probably many warnings that have been made in sports that ultimately proved to be false alarms. But San Francisco 49ers cornerback Deommodore Lenoir suspected that a fire was coming to Super Bowl 58, and he was right. Apparently, though, his gut feeling was not enough to change the game plan.
The 24-year-old shared an eye-opening story about how he tried to convince the now-former 49ers defensive coordinator Steve Wilks to use him in a different role against the eventual champion Kansas City Chiefs. It is bound to bring back some agonizing memories for the 49er Faithful.
“I talked to Wilks before the game and I was just telling him how I was feeling,” Lenoir told The Richard Sherman Podcast, via The Volume. “I watch a lot of film, so I was just seeing where the ball was going. I was like ‘it's mainly in between the hashes, going to the slots.' {The Chiefs} don't really got no dominant outside guy, so I was telling him I feel like I should be in the slot this game.”
Wilks, who was arguably saddled with the most amount of blame following San Fran's heart-wrenching 25-22 loss, did not adjust Lenoir's field placement. Patrick Mahomes peppered tight end Travis Kelce with targets and ultimately exploited the 49ers' lax defense in overtime.
Lenoir says he is not one to ever question a coach's methods, but he felt compelled to speak his mind before the biggest game of his life. The 2021 fifth-round draft pick's main focus was obviously to help the franchise win its first championship in 30 years, regardless of his role in the defense.
Richard Sherman believes the young corner was maybe a bit too respectful of the chain of command and should have gone right to the head coach with his concern.
Sherman offers his perspective for 49ers' Lenoir
“Look, I'm going to tell you this from experience and as an old man who don't play no more, just go talk to Kyle {Shanahan},” the Super Bowl 48 champion advised Lenoir. “At that point, if you get any kind of feeling in your heart, you got an inkling, just go talk to Kyle… Because I think that will move the needle next time. If you would have said that to him, you would have been playing inside in the Super Bowl and that would be the end of it.”
Sherman played under Shanahan, so perhaps he can make an educated estimation of how the HC would react to Lenoir's suggestion. Third-year players are not guaranteed to have much influence on the game plan, but since we will never know how Shanahan would have handled the reluctance, the narrative further becomes about Steve Wilks' shortcomings.
Terrible luck also came into play in 49ers' Super Bowl loss
The former NFL head coach and longtime assistant is already seen as the face of the 49ers' defeat by many people. This revelation will only magnify the ridicule he receives. Deommodore Lenoir made an impact with eight total tackles versus the Chiefs, but fans will wonder the type of imprint he could have left in Allegiant Stadium as a slot cornerback.
But all of the Wilks skewering will overshadow one devastating blow that was out of his control. Key linebacker Dre Greenlaw tore his Achilles in the first half of Super Bowl 58 while jogging out to the field from the sidelines. The fluke injury undoubtedly made Mahomes' job easier and exposed the 49ers' weaknesses.
The Chiefs still had to capitalize, and they did so brilliantly. Neither Lenoir, his teammates and coaches or the fans should dwell on the poor judgment that may have been exhibited on Feb. 11. San Francisco needs to look ahead to this upcoming season and figure out how it can complete its mission, at long last.
Reopening old wounds risks transporting the team back to a place of despair. The 49ers can correct their past mistakes through resilience and fearlessness. And hopefully, the next strong instinct will directly reach Kyle Shanahan.
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