The San Francisco 49ers dominated their opponents throughout the 2023 regular season. They were routinely winning by double-digits, but things haven’t been as easy in the postseason. San Francisco has faced two stiff tests from the Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions, resulting in closer than anticipated outcomes.
In both contests, the 49ers were trailing in the second half. They benefitted from some risky decisions by their opponents going their way and special teams’ miscues. Each time, San Francisco took advantage.
Being opportunistic is an important piece of the puzzle to having a good team. Unfortunately for the 49ers, while reviewing game tape in preparation for Super Bowl 58 against the Kansas City Chiefs, they realized they were providing their opponents with opportunities to take advantage of.
NFL News & Rumors: Tashaun Gipson Sr., Dre Greenlaw, Steve Wilks, San Francisco 49ers Updates
Defensive coordinator Steve Wilks called out his unit for their performance against the Lions, calling it unacceptable and embarrassing how they played. On several occasions, it didn’t look like everyone on the defense was giving 100 percent effort on the field. It is something safety Tashaun Gipson Sr. has vowed will not happen again.
“That’s something that never needs to be coached,” Gipson said. “That’s something that never needs to be addressed. … Obviously, everybody on that film can at some point on one of those plays point themselves out and said, ‘Man, I could have played with better effort on that.’ … That film was hard. You had to see that and you had to hear some choice words, because that’s not our brand of football. We are a lot better football team than that. It’s nothing I’m worried about moving forward.”
One of the players who stood out for their effort, or lack thereof, was Chase Young. He went viral on one of the Lions’ touchdowns as he lagged behind the play, looking as if he was putting minimum effort in.
Jahmyr Gibbs scampered for a 15-yard touchdown as Young looked like he was playing two-hand touch or flag football. The tape doesn’t lie and he looked to be jogging throughout the play. He wouldn’t go into detail about what happened on that play specifically but acknowledged effort like that is not acceptable.
“The only thing we’re worried about is doing our job every play and preparing for this game the best we can,” Young said. “We have got to do better. You’re going to see it this game.”
Young wasn’t the only player who had some lapses in effort during the game, his play just went viral on social media. He sounds like he is taking accountability for his actions, something the rest of the defense is doing as well.
NFL News & Rumors: Tashaun Gipson Sr., Dre Greenlaw, Steve Wilks, San Francisco 49ers Updates
Getting called out by a coach is not an easy thing for a player to handle. But knowing the standard that the 49ers have set, the players know they have to do better. In the opinion of linebacker Dre Greenlaw, the lashing they received from Wilks was warranted.
“I think the most important thing is just how we felt about it as a team,” Greenlaw said. “I agree to the fullest extent. I felt like we could play harder, and I felt like I could play harder too. So, you’ve got to look at yourself too. That’s really what it boils down to.”
If the 49ers want to walk away with the Lombardi Trophy on Sunday night, they are going to need a much better effort on defense than they have shown recently. If that lackadaisical play continues, the Chiefs are going to win the Super Bowl for the second straight season and third time in five years.
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