49ers' Kyle Shanahan reveals what went wrong vs. Lions in Week 17
12/31/2024 06:17 PM
In Week 17, the San Francisco 49ers had a tough time against the Detroit Lions.
Facing off in a certified grudge match, with the Lions looking to get revenge on San Francisco for bumping them from the playoffs back in January and the 49ers looking to play spoiler on the NFC’s top seed, Dan Quinn’s offense worked with ease down the stretch, scoring on every single drive of the second half before running out the clock up 40-34.
What happened there? Sure, the 49ers’ defense has been noticeably worse in 2024 than in years past, but how did things fall apart so spectacularly? Well, reporters asked Kyle Shanahan that very question after the game and broke down what happened down the stretch.
“One, they were going against a very good offense where it's going to challenge you in all areas. Just their talent, their scheme, all of the above. I think that's, they've done that to a number of teams this year. I think we had, I think there were two, with their short motions and stuff and man coverages when you get to stacks, and you've got to communicate, we had two guys drop a guy, which they make it tough on you, but those are ones that led to two big plays,” Shanahan told reporters.
“I thought our tackling wasn't great at the beginning, especially. He [Detroit Lions RB Jahmyr Gibbs] is a tough back to get down, but I thought some of our angles and stuff would have given us a chance to get to third down better and didn't track very well at all. So, it was a number of things, but you've got to be on it versus an offense like that. And I thought we were at times, but not enough, and they made us pay.”
At the end of the 2023 NFL season, the 49ers decided to move on from Steve Wilks because his defense underperformed versus his predecessor, DeMeco Ryans, who took his talents to Houston as the Texans’ new head coach. Wilks’ defense ended up ranking third against the run but 14th against the pass for the 12-5 team, and he was ultimately relieved of his duties for overseeing the eighth-ranked defense in the NFL. In 2024, Nick Sorensen’s defense ranked 17th against the run – allowing the second-most rushing touchdowns in the NFL at 22 – and fourth against the pass for a six-win team with the sixth-ranked defense.
Would the 49ers consider moving on from Sorensen moving forward? No, unless Robert Saleh decides to return to the Bay Area to run it back – which is possible but probably unlikely – they will probably stick with their guy. But does this team need a serious upgrade across the defense, save maybe safety? Oh yeah, after years with a great unit, John Lynch will have to commit some serious assets to that side of the ball heading into 2025.
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