In his lone season with the Niners, the defense had its share of ups and downs. A unit that led the NFL in multiple categories in 2022 under DeMeco Ryans took a step back in 2023.
The San Francisco 49ers fired defensive coordinator Steve Wilks after one season.
The San Francisco 49ers fired defensive coordinator Steve Wilks after one season. In his lone season with the Niners, the defense had its share of ups and downs. A unit that led the NFL in multiple categories in 2022 under DeMeco Ryans took a step back in 2023.
The San Francisco 49ers fired defensive coordinator Steve Wilks after one season.
In his lone season with the Niners, the defense had its share of ups and downs. A unit that led the NFL in multiple categories in 2022 under DeMeco Ryans took a step back in 2023.
San Francisco still finished third in points allowed (17.5) this season, but the team was ninth in defensive EPA (41.48) and sprung significant leaks against the run in the playoffs.
Accuracy
Shanahan publicly criticized Wilks for an all-out blitz call before the half that resulted in a Minnesota Vikings touchdown in a Week 7 loss.
During locker cleanout Tuesday, Bosa offered an assessment of Wilks' performance in 2023. He said:
The San Francisco 49ers have come close to winning the Super Bowl in recent seasons.
Defensive coordinator Steve Wilks was fired by the San Francisco 49ers after their latest postseason disappointment.
Wilks struggled on defense during the NFC playoffs and experienced some growing pains during the regular season after taking over for DeMeco Ryans.
Deception
(30%)
The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, the author claims that Wilks was fired due to his performance as defensive coordinator but does not provide any evidence of this claim. Secondly, the author quotes Shanahan saying that he wanted Wilks to run a different system than what had previously been in place with Ryans and Saleh before him without providing any context or explanation for why this change was necessary. Thirdly, the article mentions several instances where Wilks made mistakes during games but does not provide any analysis of these mistakes or their impact on the team's performance.
The author claims that Wilks was fired due to his performance as defensive coordinator without providing any evidence of this claim. This is a lie by omission.
Fallacies
(80%)
The article contains several examples of an appeal to authority fallacy. The author cites Kyle Shanahan's statement that Steve Wilks is a great football coach and a loyal man without providing any evidence or context for this claim. Additionally, the author quotes Nick Bosa and Fred Warner praising Wilks' performance in 2023 without considering their biases or potential conflicts of interest.
Kyle Shanahan stated that Steve Wilks is a great football coach and a loyal man.
Nick Bosa praised Steve Wilks' performance in 2023.
Bias
(85%)
The author has a clear bias towards the San Francisco 49ers and their coaching staff. The article is written in a way that portrays Kyle Shanahan as being responsible for Steve Wilks's removal as defensive coordinator, despite acknowledging that he was loyal to him. Additionally, the article uses language such as 'tough decision', which implies that Shanahan had other options but chose not to keep Wilks on board.
I knew that was a challenge, and bringing in Steve, who was unbelievable how loyal he was and him trying to do it, but it just ended up not being the right fit.
Kyle Shanahan said in a conference call Wednesday that was scheduled just 10 minutes before it happened
Shanahan took ownership of some of those struggles
The San Francisco 49ers have come close to winning the Super Bowl in recent seasons.
Defensive coordinator Steve Wilks was fired by the San Francisco 49ers after their latest postseason disappointment.
Wilks struggled on defense during the NFC playoffs and experienced some growing pains during the regular season after taking over for DeMeco Ryans.
Accuracy
No Contradictions at Time
Of
Publication
Deception
(30%)
The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, the author claims that Steve Wilks was fired due to his poor performance on defense during the regular season and playoffs. However, this contradicts previous statements made by Kyle Shanahan about Wilks' success as a defensive coordinator with other teams before joining San Francisco.
The article states that Steve Wilks was fired for poor performance on defense during the regular season and playoffs. However, it fails to mention his successful track record as a defensive coordinator with other teams.
Fallacies
(100%)
None Found At Time Of
Publication
Bias
(85%)
The article contains multiple examples of bias. The author uses language that dehumanizes the Kansas City Chiefs and their fans by referring to them as 'racist and antisemitic conspiracy'. This is a clear example of religious bias. Additionally, the author uses inflammatory language such as 'excruciatingly close' which could be seen as an attempt to manipulate emotions rather than provide objective reporting. The article also contains examples of monetary bias by mentioning that the 49ers have reached four out of five NFC championship games but have lost two Super Bowls, both to the Kansas City Chiefs.
The article contains examples of monetary bias by mentioning that the 49ers have reached four out of five NFC championship games but have lost two Super Bowls, both to the Kansas City Chiefs
The author uses language that dehumanizes the Kansas City Chiefs and their fans
Site
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
Mark Maske has a conflict of interest on the topic of NFL coaching changes as he is reporting on Steve Wilks being fired from his position as defensive coordinator for the San Francisco 49ers. He also has a financial tie to Kyle Shanahan who was recently hired by the Kansas City Chiefs.
Mark Maske mentions that Kyle Shanahan is a friend and has known him for years.
Mark Maske reports that Steve Wilks, former defensive coordinator of the San Francisco 49ers, was fired after their latest near miss in Super Bowl LVIII.
Author
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
Mark Maske has a conflict of interest on the topic of NFL coaching changes as he is reporting on the firing of Steve Wilks as defensive coordinator for the San Francisco 49ers. He also has a conflict of interest on the topic of Super Bowl LVIII and Green Bay Packers, which are mentioned in relation to Kyle Shanahan's performance.
Mark Maske reports that 'Kyle Shanahan is one of several NFL coaches who have been linked to the 49ers’ latest near miss.'
Mark Maske writes that 'the 49ers lost their third straight game, including a Super Bowl LVIII loss to the Green Bay Packers'.
The San Francisco 49ers fired defensive coordinator Steve Wilks after one season.
In his lone season with the Niners, the defense had its share of ups and downs. A unit that led the NFL in multiple categories in 2022 under DeMeco Ryans took a step back in 2023.
Shanahan publicly criticized Wilks for an all-out blitz call before the half that resulted in a Minnesota Vikings touchdown in a Week 7 loss.
Accuracy
The San Francisco 49ers defense was ill-prepared to face the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVIII according to Nick Bosa.
Nick Bosa insinuated that Steve Wilks' game plan could have been better and the team should have known who would be carrying the ball in crucial situations.
Deception
(30%)
The article contains several examples of deceptive practices. Firstly, the author insinuates that the defense was ill-prepared to face Chiefs by stating that they could have been more prepared in crucial situations and referring to specific plays where Mahomes scrambled down the middle on a fourth-and-1 situation and again found a wide-open lane for a 15 yard dash up the middle of the field. Secondly, Bosa's statements about Wilks game plan being flawed are not supported by any evidence presented in this article. Lastly, there is no disclosure or quote from sources to support these claims.
The zone read got us a couple of times
We could have been more prepared there. We have to know in crucial situations who is going to have the ball, and obviously it's him. He had a scramble down the middle on that last drive.
Fallacies
(70%)
The article contains several examples of informal fallacies. The author uses an appeal to authority when he quotes Nick Bosa's opinions on the defense being unprepared for Super Bowl LVIII. He also uses inflammatory rhetoric by describing the team as having played well enough to win, but not enough to be void of questions. Additionally, there are several examples of dichotomous depictions throughout the article.
The defense was playing good most of the game
We definitely wanted to lap them a couple more times
There were missed opportunities in the first half too
Bias
(70%)
The author has a clear bias towards the defense's performance in the game. The author uses quotes from Nick Bosa to insinuate that the defense was ill-prepared for Super Bowl LVIII and could have been more prepared if they had known who would be carrying the ball in crucial situations. The author also mentions that San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Steve Wilks has not had an easy transition in his first season with the team, which may contribute to their poor performance on defense during Super Bowl LVIII.
>He is who he is for a reason,‼ Bosa said of Mahomes.
In two of Bosa’s responses to reporters during his postgame media availability, the star edge rusher insinuated that the defense, as a group, could have been more prepared. That responsibility falls directly in the lap of the first-year coordinator.
LAS VEGAS — Could the 49ers' defense have been more prepared for Super Bowl LVIII?
There was complete raw emotion from all players after their heartbreaking loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, but there also were a few hints of what the All-Pro thought about defensive coordinator Steve Wilks' game plan.
There were some where I think, if obviously we could get them back, we would have been more prepared.”
,The zone read got us a couple of times,” Bosa said. “We could have been more prepared there. We have to know in crucial situations who is going to have the ball, and obviously it’s him.”
Site
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
Jennifer Lee Chan has a financial tie to the NFL as she is an employee of NBC Sports Bay Area which covers the San Francisco 49ers. This could potentially influence her coverage of Nick Bosa's comments about the team's defense being ill-prepared.
Author
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
Jennifer Lee Chan has a conflict of interest on the topics of 49ers defense and zone read as she is an NFL reporter for NBC Sports Bay Area. She also has a personal relationship with Nick Bosa as they are both from Ohio.
The San Francisco 49ers moved swiftly to address their defensive coordinator position
It had been an up-and-down year with Wilks at the helm
Shanahan pointed out that he struggled with how Wilks utilized front seven and led to inconsistent run defense and disconnect between head coach and coordinator.
The 49ers are searching for their third defensive coordinator in three years as they look to gain more consistency on that side of the ball.
Accuracy
No Contradictions at Time
Of
Publication
Deception
(100%)
None Found At Time Of
Publication
Fallacies
(70%)
The article contains several examples of informal fallacies. The author uses inflammatory rhetoric when describing the struggles with how Wilks utilized the front seven and his disconnect from Shanahan's preferred defense. Additionally, there are multiple instances where the author appeals to authority by mentioning other coaches who have had success in their respective positions.
The way Fred and Dre have done it over the years. You want to tie things together.
Bias
(100%)
None Found At Time Of
Publication
Site
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
The author has a conflict of interest with the topic of defensive coordinator position as they have previously written about it and may be biased towards certain candidates.
Author
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
The author has a conflict of interest on the topic of Steve Wilks as they have written about him in the past and may be biased towards his replacement. The article also mentions Kyle Shanahan who is currently the head coach and could potentially replace Wilks.
The San Francisco 49ers fired defensive coordinator Steve Wilks on Wednesday, three days after losing the Super Bowl to the Kansas City Chiefs.
Coach Kyle Shanahan announced the decision to move on after one season with Wilks in charge of the defense.
Shanahan called it a 'really tough decision' but said he wants to find a coordinator who was a better scheme fit for San Francisco's defense.
The Niners were the first team to fire an offensive or defensive coordinator after losing the Super Bowl since Atlanta fired defensive coordinator Richard Smith after blowing a 28-3 lead to New England in Super Bowl 51.
Shanahan was the offensive coordinator for the Falcons in that game and left to take over San Francisco following the loss.
Wilks' background was in secondary defense, but he struggled with tying together San Francisco's secondary with its front seven this season.
The Niners will have several other coaching changes on their staff.
Passing game coordinator Klint Kubiak will become offensive coordinator in New Orleans, running backs coach Anthony Lynn will be run game coordinator in Washington, assistant defensive line coach Darryl Tapp will take over as defensive line coach in Washington and assistant offensive line coach James Cregg will become offensive line coach in Las Vegas.
Accuracy
No Contradictions at Time
Of
Publication
Deception
(30%)
The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, the author claims that Steve Wilks was a bad scheme fit for the talent on San Francisco's defense when he was hired after DeMeco Ryans left to become head coach of Houston. However, this contradicts previous statements made by Kyle Shanahan about Wilks being an unbelievable and loyal coordinator who had been successful in his previous roles. Secondly, the article states that Nick Bosa questioned the effort given by San Francisco's defense during their Super Bowl loss to Kansas City. This is a lie of omission as it fails to mention that Bosa also praised Wilks for being an excellent defensive coordinator and credited him with helping improve the team's defense in 2019. Lastly, the article claims that San Francisco struggled to tie together their secondary with the front seven this season, which is a lie of omission as it fails to mention that they had one of the best defenses in football during regular season and were ranked #1 overall by many analysts.
The author contradicts previous statements made by Kyle Shanahan about Steve Wilks being an unbelievable and loyal coordinator who had been successful in his previous roles.
The author claims that San Francisco struggled to tie together their secondary with the front seven this season, which is a lie of omission as it fails to mention that they had one of the best defenses in football during regular season and were ranked #1 overall by many analysts.
Nick Bosa praised Steve Wilks for being an excellent defensive coordinator and credited him with helping improve the team's defense in 2019, but this is not mentioned in the article.
Fallacies
(70%)
The article contains several fallacies. The author uses an appeal to authority when he quotes Kyle Shanahan's statements about the decision to fire Steve Wilks and his reasoning for it. Additionally, there is a dichotomous depiction of San Francisco's defense in the regular season versus their performance in the playoffs, which could be seen as inflammatory rhetoric. The author also uses an informal fallacy by stating that Nick Bosa said after the game that they were unprepared for Mahomes to keep the ball on key runs, without providing any evidence or quotes from Bosa himself.
Kyle Shanahan's statement about wanting a coordinator who was a better scheme fit for San Francisco's defense is an appeal to authority.
The dichotomous depiction of San Francisco's defense in the regular season versus their performance in the playoffs could be seen as inflammatory rhetoric.
Nick Bosa said after the game that they were unprepared for Mahomes to keep the ball on key runs, without providing any evidence or quotes from Bosa himself.
Bias
(70%)
The author has a clear bias towards the San Francisco 49ers and their coaching staff. The article is written in an objective manner but there are several instances where the author's personal opinions and biases come through.
> Coach Kyle Shanahan announced the decision to move on after one season with Wilks in charge of the defense.
Site
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
There are multiple examples of conflicts of interest in this article. The author has a personal relationship with Steve Wilks and Kyle Shanahan as they have previously worked together at the San Francisco 49ers.
(2017–present) San Francisco 49ers head coach, NFL Super Bowl LIV winner and participant in Super Bowl XLIX, Super Bowl LI and Super Bowl LIII.
The author is friends with Steve Wilks
Author
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
The author has a conflict of interest on the topics of Super Bowl and NFL Football League Championship Game (2019) as he is an employee of San Francisco 49ers.
(2018–present) San Francisco 49ers head coach, NFL Super Bowl LIV winner and participant in Super Bowl XLIX, Super Bowl LI and Super Bowl LIII.
