49ers DC Steve Wilks shakes off criticism amid losing streak
After climbing to an undefeated start in the first five weeks of the season, the San Francisco 49ers have stumbled to three straight losses.
Although much of the focus sits on quarterback Brock Purdy’s struggles over that span, the 49ers defense hasn’t done the team any favors as well. With that spotlight shining on him, defensive coordinator Steve Wilks voiced that he’s unfazed by the criticism.
“I can honestly say I’m sort of built for this,” Wilks, who is in his first year with the Niners, said via ESPN. “Not in an arrogant way but I’ve always believed there’s two things: There’s what you hear and what you listen to. I hear a lot of the outside noise and I don’t listen to it, good or bad.
“I’ve seen this, I’ve been around this, I can take it. I’m the new guy here. It is what it is. I have confidence in myself, most importantly I have confidence in those players and the coaches that we’re together and we are going to come through this.”
Wilks’ comments shouldn’t come as a surprise, given that he has already gone through the fire of criticism as an NFL head coach in his previous stint with the Carolina Panthers.
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Beyond that, the 49ers still sit in a strong spot tied for the NFC West division lead. However, San Francisco must improve its defensive performance from the last three games where they are ranked 24th in points allowed (24.0) and 30th in yards allowed (395.3).
The sky isn’t falling with the 49ers, but that trend must change if they hope to make a serious push toward the playoffs and much more than that.
