It was the fifth game in a row that the San Francisco 49ers let an opposing running back gain over 100 yards, but unlike the four previous games, the defense also gave up four rushing touchdowns. That used to be unheard of against the stout defense that the 49ers were once known for. Remember when allowing a rushing touchdown only happened once in a blue moon? Sunday night was a super hunter’s moon, and the flood gates opened well before it rose.
The team can make excuses as far as injuries on the defensive side of the ball, which is a valid case with the losses of NaVorro Bowman, Ian Williams, and Ray Ray Armstrong for the season, Jimmie Ward and Jaquiski Tartt inactive for the game, and Rashard Robinson leaving the game early due to a concussion. There’s really no excuse for the defense that only allowed the Rams only 65 yards on the ground to let opposing teams run all over them, literally. They allowed 529 yards of offense in Carolina and 491 yards in Buffalo.
Eric Reid and Michael Wilhoite were brave enough to face the media after the game. Here are the transcripts:
S Eric Reid
How do you feel you’re playing?
I didn’t play good today. With the touchdown, I missed a sack, didn’t do my job.
Are the fixes here? Can this be salvaged?
Yeah, we just got to stop making mistakes. You look at the big plays and somebody makes a mistake. We just got to stop doing that to ourselves.
Eric, the numbers they put up, over 300 rushing yards, four rushing touchdowns, is it embarrassing, just as a defense?
Yeah, it is embarrassing. To get the ball ran on you like that, when you know they’re going to run the ball, we just got to stop making the same mistakes, stay in our gaps, make the tackle, there were too many missed tackles. We just got to look at it and get better.
LB Michael WIlhoite
Are there scheme issues?
No, I don’t think so. I think that, for me, what I can comment on right now, because I got to see the film for everybody else, but for me, I got to play better. I think that’s what everyone else feels like around here and until we play better it’s not going to change. The results are going to be the same as long as we’re going out there and making the same mistakes.
300 rushing yards, four rushing touchdowns. Is this embarrassing?
Yeah, I’d have to call it that, I mean, to be honest. I would think so, yeah, I would say that. As a man, that is embarrassing and I think everybody in here would feel that way and I think everybody in here does feel that way.
(LeSean) McCoy’s running style, did anything surprise you about it? Was he able to cut back into lanes where nobody was?
No, I don’t think anything surprised us. I think he did what he usually does. I think we killed ourselves. We were making mistakes and we were outside of our lanes, outside of our gaps, and he capitalized on it.
Did you guys practice preparing against the wildcat all week?
Yes, we did.
So you weren’t surprised?
No.
Lots of season to go, Michael, what do you have to do to be on guard to make sure that guys don’t just pack it in and stay ready?
Keep fighting, keep fighting, keep fighting. Everybody in here is a man. Nobody in here is weak or soft, everybody in here is a man and everybody in here has got to step up and be a man and accept this challenge and attack it.