SANTA CLARA — In the second quarter of the 49ers' NFC Championship Game win over the Detroit Lions at Levi's Stadium, Detroit running back Jahmyr Gibbs scampered 15 yards, barely touched, for a touchdown.
During the play, the 49ers' defense showed an alarming lack of effort, which allowed the Lions to take a 14-point lead. On Thursday, 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan was asked if he was concerned about the play and the overall effort of his defense.
“I know it looked bad on the clip that you guys have and stuff,” Shanahan said. “No, it’s not our culture. We don’t want to have one play like that. I think we had about two to three in that game, which is too much for us. We don’t want to ever have one.”
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Several 49ers defenders lunged for the Lions ball carrier but did not bring him down. Crediting the players for missed tackles might be too generous as there did not appear to be attempts to make a full tackle.
“But it wasn’t just the D-Line,” Shanahan said. “There were a few backside people who weren’t going and they were expecting someone else to make the tackle. Whenever you’re expecting someone else to make the tackle bad things happen. “
Rather than singling out individual players, linebacker Fred Warner believes the entire defense needs to take a hard look at themselves. The team captain admitted even he had moments where he let down his guard in the game.
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“The thing that is more meaningful than just trying to get on specific guys, is being the guy who shows consistency and is the truest example of exactly what we are looking for,” Warner said Thursday. “I can look at plays this past game where I wasn’t fully giving my 100 percent effort.
“It’s like who am I to sit there and talk down on somebody else when I wasn’t all the way there. I’m always trying to look ay myself first in the mirror and make sure I’m the example.”
Warner and the 49ers' defense is known for being as tough as they come, but in the biggest game of the year, there will be no margin for error. Giving Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and his offense the opportunity to get explosive plays could lead to the demise of the 49ers’ end goal in Super Bowl LVIII at Allegiant Stadium.
Warner knows that the defense can’t rely on just performing in games, the effort needs to be evident in every session the team has before the big game kicks off on Sunday, Feb. 11.
“Today when we are out there at practice, how do you look at practice right now, how do I look, and what example am I giving to my guys for what we are trying to look like on Sunday,” Warner said. “It’s not going to happen just because we just talk about it, it’s got to be something that you do day in and day out and we have that opportunity today.”
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