Speaking to reporters after Monday night's loss to the Minnesota Vikings, San Francisco 49ers head Kyle Shanahan was asked about one specific play—the zero blitz just moments before halftime. While the coach likes the call in certain scenarios, he firmly believes that this particular instance was ill-timed, and the result was disastrous.
The pass from Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins found the hands of wide receiver Jordan Addison, resulting in a 60-yard touchdown. Cornerback Charvarius Ward contested the catch but failed to come away with the football.
TAKEN AWAY BY ADDISON FOR THE 60-YARD SCORE 🔥
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— NFL (@NFL) October 24, 2023
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/riDUhbzXkK pic.twitter.com/E3TaKaYMA9
What did Shanahan say about defensive coordinator Steve Wilks' play call now that he is two days removed from the game?
RELATED 49ers mailbag: Should Steve Wilks be fired? What is happening to the defensive line?
"He knows he messed up on that call," Shanahan told reporters before Wednesday's practice. "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 [have a problem] when there's 16 seconds left, and 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."
Instead of heading into halftime down 10-7, the 49ers found themselves training 16-7 after two quarters of action, ultimately losing the game 22-17.
Since Monday night's loss, Wilks has come under significant scrutiny, stemming from the questionable play call and the underperformance of the talented defensive line, which has failed to reach opposing quarterbacks consistently.
"He knows he messed up on that call."
Shanahan and Wilks had a conversation about the zero-blitz call that led to the Vikings' 60-yard TD on Monday pic.twitter.com/EuHOzoxAh4
— 49ers on NBCS (@NBCS49ers) October 25, 2023
