Wilks of the 49ers responds candidly to recent criticism in an article that first aired on NBC Sports Bay Area.
Steve Wilks, the defensive coordinator for the 49ers, is no stranger to hardship, and he is drawing on his prior knowledge to guide him through San Francisco’s current difficult patch.
After hiring Wilks in the summer to take DeMeco Ryans’ job, San Francisco’s 49ers defense hasn’t lived up to expectations. But Wilks isn’t going to panic despite losing three games in a row.
Regarding previous criticism directed at him, Wilks told reporters on Thursday, “I can honestly say I’m sort of built for this.” “I’ve always felt that it’s two things: what you hear and what you listen to. I don’t mean to sound conceited. I can therefore hear a lot of outside sounds. Either way, I don’t listen to it. I’ve been doing this for a while, as you said, and I am aware of the feelings involved in this game and the way we play at this level. I attempt to remain detached. The bar is so high here—we’re five and three—that everyone feels like the ceiling is falling in on us after we lost three straight games.
“We’re in a favorable situation. We must make a change. There is a lot of football left in front of us. In November, we hope to begin making strides, improve, and by December, we hope to be performing at our very best. I can handle that since I’ve seen and experienced this. I’m the newcomer. What is is, what is. I am confident in who I am. Above all, I know that those players and the coaches are on the same team and that we can overcome this.
“I can honestly say I’m sort of built for this.”
Wilks discusses the backlash he’s been receiving lately over the 49ers’ three-game losing streak photo.twitter.com/VDBa_4w4ifc
November 9, 2023 — 49ers on NBCS (@NBCS49ers).
It’s hardly shocking that Wilks is unmoved by his detractors. In sharp contrast to the animated Ryans and his predecessor, Robert Saleh, who gained notoriety for his sideline celebrations while coaching the 49ers defense, is his composed manner.
After coaching the 49ers from the coaches’ booth for the first eight games, Wilks will be on the sidelines on Sunday against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The decision was more about simplifying San Francisco’s defenders’ and coordinators’ communication than it was about on-field shenanigans.
The 49ers defense is trying to find its identity as it looks to improve in Week 10 following their bye. Similar to San Francisco, which opened the season with five straight victories, Wilks has seen both the greatest and lowest points the NFL has to offer.
Three seasons after leading the Arizona Cardinals to the Super Bowl as the Carolina Panthers’ associate head coach, he was relieved of his position after just one season, having guided the team to a league-worst 3-13 record in 2018. After serving as a defensive coordinator with the Cleveland Browns for one season, Wilks spent a year as a defensive coordinator at Mizzou. He then rejoined the NFL with the Panthers for the 2023 season.
Considering everything he has witnessed, Wilks would rather look forward and thinks the 49ers defense has what it takes to break out of current slump and help the team win.
Telling reporters, “You know, I try to stay out of the past,” Wilks said. “When I say that, it’s clear, but focusing on the previous three weeks won’t truly alter the tasks we’re attempting to complete. And ever since we returned, we have been concentrating on one thing at a time. Let’s just get back on track and do what needs to be done to win this game. We played hard in the games we were there before, I believe. We must go carry out. When given the chance, we must make plays.
“I’ve got to do a better job again just putting them in better positions, which I think is going to help them go execute.”
