Steve Wilks Out as 49ers DC

[fastforward]

So Kyle doesn’t know when he hires a guy if he would be a good fit?

McVay hired Liam Coen as a WR coach, and then as a QB coach. He didn't think he was up to being the OC. Coen left to get OC experience in college and then returned to the Rams as OC. It didn't work out and he was fired. You just never know.

Shanahan has his own specific way of doing things, and everyone has to fit in with him. 1 consequence of this is Shanahan tends to promote from within more than other HCs. Wilks was an outsider with his own way of doing things.

 

[fastforward]

Defensive coordinator is also suppose to know the overtime rules too. Jackass Kyle said he wanted the ball third, which makes no sense.

It makes plenty of sense. If neither team scores on their 1st possession or both teams kick FGs then from the 3rd possession the game becomes sudden death. Kicking a FG on 4th & 4 from the 8 was the mistake. If your plan is to win on the 3rd possession you don't want the opposition being forced to go for it on 4th down and you don't give them 17 yards from the 8 to the 25 with a kickoff.

 

[HaroldSeattle]

if niners won, Wilks keeps his job

Or gets a HC gig. He would not get fired, that's a given.

 

[Battlelyon]

 

[DJ]

 

[fastforward]

Or gets a HC gig. He would not get fired, that's a given.

If the differences between HC and coordinator are a chasm rather than a crack then winning won't smooth things over, (EG Ditka and Ryan on the '85 Bears). Winning didn't seem to smooth things over for Bieniemy as OC for the Chiefs.

 

[HaroldSeattle]

If the differences between HC and coordinator are a chasm rather than a crack then winning won't smooth things over, (EG Ditka and Ryan on the '85 Bears). Winning didn't seem to smooth things over for Bieniemy as OC for the Chiefs.

Winning may not smooth out the relationship, but it's a shield from getting fired usually, people just hire out elsewhere.

 

[Dr. Strangelove]

I kinda think winning would have only saved his job if the defense completely shut down Mahomes and they won going away. I have a feeling he was probably going to be let go no matter whether they won or not. Could be totally wrong. It just seemed they weren't happy with him and the 2 play-off games hurt his cause. At any rate, it's still a scapegoat thing but I also think Greenlaws freak injury was pretty significant. They really had Kelce bottled up before that and KC was doing nothing much. No way to know for sure but what's done is done. It will be interesting to see who they hire now though.
PS. I think when Shanahan had to call that time out because the defense was in that weird alignment, it sealed the deal for Wilks. The disconnect was pretty obvious.

 

[CrashDavisSports]

And Baltimore. And Cincinnati. And Cleveland.

With the star power he has on that roster, he grossly underperformed.

Can't fault him for his defense looking like crap against a healthy Bengals offense.

 

[eaglesnut]

Did Jason hate Mike Shanahan too? These media guys are about as clowny as it gets always coming in with an agenda.

 

[eaglesnut]

At any rate, it's still a scapegoat thing but I also think Greenlaws freak injury was pretty significant. They really had Kelce bottled up before that and KC was doing nothing much. No way to know for sure but what's done is done. It will be interesting to see who they hire now though.
PS. I think when Shanahan had to call that time out because the defense was in that weird alignment, it sealed the deal for Wilks. The disconnect was pretty obvious.

Greenlaw shouldn't have fucked with Eagles' security.

 

[mrschaney]

All I see when I see this thread title!

 

[Hangman]

Wilks was the wrong fit to start off with and he just plain sucks. His strength is the 49ers weakness. He tried turning the 49ers secondary into its biggest strength and turned the 49ers biggest strength the D-line into their biggest weakness. He would call blitzes at the wrong time and it cost us a few games this season. He was passive when he should have been aggressive. It was constant all season long. He should have been fired after the 3rd week. It was clear he sucked at his job and they could have replaced him then. I was begging for him to be fired in preseason because I have seen how he ruined other good defenses before and it was apparent the 49ers were on the same path.

Wilks is only good as a secondary coach and nothing else. Maybe if he became a linebackers coach and a dline coach to learn how to use them he might be okay in the future. But right now he cant do anything with a defense to scheme a pass rush

 

[jerseyhawksfan79]

The next DC will be under a microscope. Anything less than the NFCCG will return to "should SF have fired Wilks?"

 

[Battlelyon]

Nick Sorensen the new fall guy

 

[Jikkle]

Nick Sorensen the new fall guy

Hard to say how he'll do but he was on Seattle's staff for a while so he's familiar with the system and when he did join the staff in 2022 there was a dramatic improvement in terms of the amount of INTs from the defense.

But you never know with these guys until they actually do it and he can be a rising star or fall flat on his face.

My guess with the Staley hire is Shanahan probably liked him a lot but didn't want to go with another guy outside the organization and that didn't run the same defense which was how the Wilks thing ended badly.

My thoughts is he wants him on staff because despite him being a piss-poor head coach he's still supposed to be an elite game planner and you give him time to get familiar with the players and system so if Sorensen ends up being a brilliant DC thus getting an HC gig somewhere or a complete failure Staley can seamlessly step in when the time comes.