The 49ers are Scapegoating Steve Wilks
Kyle Shanahan couldn't throw Steve Wilks under the bus fast enough this season.
First, when the 49ers were 5-1, Shanahan publicly criticized Wilks at halftime of the 49ers' loss to the Vikings for calling a blitz that resulted in a touchdown for Minnesota. Now, Shanahan is making Wilks leave the coach's booth and call plays from the sideline, as if that will make a difference.
All of this shows that Shanahan believes Wilks and his defense are the problem. Not Shanahan's offense, which has scored only 17 points three games in row.
What adjustments will Shanahan make?
Apparently, the answer is none. He traded for another edge rusher in Chase Young and has moved Wilks' play-calling location, and now the 49ers are supposed to be fine. They just needed some tweaks on defense. The offense will take care of itself.
Moving Wilks from the booth to the sideline is a cosmetic change, nothing more. And it's not a logical cosmetic change. At one point, the 49ers were 5-0 with Wilks calling plays from the booth, and the defense was playing well. That was just a few weeks ago. No one was saying Wilks needed to move to the sideline then. Now that they've lost a few games in a row and have had a total team meltdown, the solution is to move one person on game day? That's ridiculous.
Shanahan is so quick to scapegoat others, whether it's his defensive coordinator or his quarterback. It's time he takes accountability for his team. That's what head coaches do.
