The San Francisco 49ers put forth an inspiring comeback in the second half of the NFC Championship Game to overcome a 17-point deficit and win in order to advance to the Super Bowl.
At the same time, the fact they were down by 17 at halftime was an indication that they played poorly for an extended stretch of the game, especially on defense.
That’s what defensive coordinator Steve Wilks told the media — in fact, he called his team’s defensive effort “embarrassing,” per 95.7 The Game.
Steve Wilks says the 49ers defense had plays in the NFC Championship that lacked effort, and weren’t to the team’s standard. He expects that will be corrected:
“Those guys understand and know that, and quite honestly, it was embarrassing.” pic.twitter.com/3LysaWl3Or
— 95.7 The Game (@957thegame) February 2, 2024
In the first half of the NFC title game, the 49ers gave up 148 rushing yards to the Detroit Lions.
David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs, Detroit’s excellent tag-team duo at running back, kept running to the edges and finding massive gaps in San Francisco’s defense.
San Francisco normally sports one of the NFL’s stingiest defenses, but this deficiency was also evident in their divisional-round victory over the Green Bay Packers.
If they are to finally win their sixth Super Bowl championship, they will have to figure out a remedy, as the Kansas City Chiefs have two capable running backs in Isiah Pacheco and Clyde Edwards-Helaire.
Of course, an even bigger concern will be Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who always seems to make something out of nothing when it matters most.
Mahomes and the Chiefs overcame a late 10-point deficit to defeat the 49ers in the Super Bowl four years ago, and the Niners will be looking for revenge this time.
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