49ers linebacker Fred Warner isn't high on the list of people to blame for his team's last two losses, but he's putting that weight on the shoulders of himself and his defense anyway.
The 49ers' defense has been in a tough spot the past two weeks due to seven turnovers (six on offense, one on special teams) that led to a combined 41 points in a 23-15 loss to Washington and a 41-33 loss to Dallas. Those turnovers have been where the overwhelming majority of the blame lies for those two losses, but Warner also thinks the defense deserves some criticism for not creating enough of its own after forcing only one against Washington and zero against the Cowboys.
"We've got to take the ball away. I'm expecting at least two or three a game to help the offense, and we had zero," Warner told reporters after the loss in Dallas on December 20.
The defense at one point did appear to have forced one turnover against the Cowboys when defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw knocked the ball out of the hands of quarterback Andy Dalton early in the third quarter, leading to an apparent fumble recovery that would have given the 49ers possession deep in Cowboys territory. But officials didn't rule the play as a fumble on the field, and that call was upheld after it was challenged by head coach Kyle Shanahan. It would have certainly been helpful for the 49ers had that call gone in the other direction, but Warner said the defense had other chances to create turnovers that it should have been able to capitalize on.
"Unfortunately it didn't go our way," Warner said. "There's more opportunities out there. We've just got to be able to create them. I hold myself to that, being one of the leaders of the defense and one of the playmakers. I've got to make plays if that's what I'm going to call myself."
Warner was noticeably frustrated after the loss to Dallas, which he admitted to when speaking to reporters during his postgame media session. His frustration is understandable after being on a team that went to the Super Bowl in 2019 but now must stay home for the postseason after being eliminated from the 2020 playoffs.
"Obviously you can hear the frustration in my voice. It's because I care," Warner said. "It sucks to lose. I hate losing. We've got to change something. You've got to look at yourself first and foremost because you can't keep doing the same things over and over again and expect different results."
While Warner and the 49ers won't be able to defend their NFC title in the upcoming postseason, they still have two chances to go out on a winning note with games against the Arizona Cardinals and Seattle Seahawks over the next two weeks. Warner plans to use those games to help finish the season on a high note and meet the winning standard that has been set within the organization.
"It's just how the year has gone and having expectations we have," Warner said. "We have a very high standard in this building, obviously going to the Super Bowl last year. The past is the past, but we have a standard we've got to uphold. We haven't held up to that standard over the last few weeks. We have another opportunity next week, thankfully. Two more games to make it right and I'm looking forward to getting back to work tomorrow, so that's what I'm going to do."