San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Steve Wilks made headlines for a play-call that backfired during the Week 7 loss to the Minnesota Vikings. Wilks, who called a zero blitz with 16 seconds left in the first half of the Monday night game vs Minnesota, drew the ire of 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan for the play-call, which resulted in a 60-yard touchdown for Vikings wideout Jordan Addison.
Wilks spoke to the media on Thursday, breaking his silence on the call gone wrong, per Nick Wagoner of ESPN.
Steve Wilks addresses 49ers play that backfired
“I take full responsibility for that call. I have to do a better job in putting the guys in a better position. We have good players. I know that and can't really press the issue and with that moving forward, it's my responsibility to do that. So I wish I could take it back, but again, I've got to do better.”
Wilks said he “has to do better,”, acknowledging that he wishes he could have the play call back.
The blitz call was a relatively uncharacteristic one, at least by the 49ers' standards this season. The San Francisco defense has generated just a 21.2 percent blitz rate this year, 27th in the NFL, while creating pressure on the quarterback at a 26.1 percent rate, good for seventh in the league, per Pro Football Reference.
In other words, while the sack totals haven't been there yet, the 49ers haven't necessarily needed the blitz to pressure opposing passers. Shanahan, speaking to reporters about the play call, certainly felt that San Francisco didn't need to blitz in that situation.
Shanahan says Wilks “knows he messed up”
“He knows he messed up on that call. 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.”
Shanahan made it clear that he has no problem with Wilks dialing up the extra heat but felt that the coach was taking an unnecessary risk sending the house at the Vikings with just 16 seconds left.
To be fair to Wilks, 49ers defensive back Charvarius Ward made a play on the deep ball to Addison and appeared to have intercepted it before the Vikings wideout ripped it out of his hands and ran it the rest of the way to the end zone.
If Ward executes there, it's a straightforward end to the half for Wilks and the 49ers. But the overall point is clear.
San Francisco is talented enough that they don't need to be taking risks like that.
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