Coach - Steve Wilks thread

Originally posted by thl408:
This article is a year old and it touches on the trend of league defenses blitzing less.

(snippets from article below)
https://www.sharpfootballanalysis.com/analysis/defense-blitz-coverage-staley-fangio-2022-sharp-football-preview/
Last year in this foreword, we explored the concept of space and how offenses were getting increasingly better at manipulating it to set up big plays and create yards after the catch. What defenses are doing now is in reaction to that — limiting the space an offense has to work with.
The increase of two-high safety shells was in part to limit the explosive pass plays.

To fight against this, offenses have gotten the ball out quicker and shorter passes have increased. The average depth of target has dropped over the past three seasons from 8.18 in 2019 to 7.79 in 2020 to 7.75 in 2021, per TruMedia. The rate of passes thrown at or behind the line of scrimmage has risen each year since at least 2013 and in 2021, 71.4% of passes were thrown within 10 yards of the line of scrimmage.
With so many passes getting thrown to that area, the defensive adjustment has been to flood more defenders into throwing lanes. That has come at the expense of blitzing aggressively.

(In 2021), defenses blitzed just 25.3% of the time, the lowest rate over a full season since at least 2013, per TruMedia.
In 2021, defenses rushed four on 69.9% of plays. That would have been a top-10 rate for a singular defense in 2020. 18 teams were above 70% in 2021.
More defenses have used simulated pressures, which shows the threat of a blitz with multiple players around the line of scrimmage only to rush four, but disguising which four players is the point. This can give similar effects to a blitz by manipulating protection rules and potentially creating free rushers, but still getting seven defenders back in coverage.
-----------------------------------
I'm not a fan of blitzing just because it's a part of the DC's DNA. Blitz when it is the optimal way to combat the offense they are playing against on that Sunday, in that specific game time situation. The 49ers have two of the best pass rushers in Bosa and Hargrave. A benefit of having those two is not having to blitz so much and being able to put 7 in coverage. I hope Wilks finds that happy medium where he increases the 49ers blitz rate, when compared to Saleh/Ryans, but also doesn't feel the need to blitz just because that's a part of who he has been in the past.

I get what you are saying but it will be hard to diagnosis this form the sidelines. Your past is your present in some regards so it'll be hard to totally change his philosophy now. I would think he's smart enough to realize when to dial back or ramp it up. To me DR seemed to blitz more than Saleh. I hope we see more A gap blitzes. Let our linebackers get in the mix. Definitely will be interesting to see the mix.

Originally posted by lamontb:

Originally posted by thl408:
This article is a year old and it touches on the trend of league defenses blitzing less.

(snippets from article below)
https://www.sharpfootballanalysis.com/analysis/defense-blitz-coverage-staley-fangio-2022-sharp-football-preview/
Last year in this foreword, we explored the concept of space and how offenses were getting increasingly better at manipulating it to set up big plays and create yards after the catch. What defenses are doing now is in reaction to that — limiting the space an offense has to work with.
The increase of two-high safety shells was in part to limit the explosive pass plays.

To fight against this, offenses have gotten the ball out quicker and shorter passes have increased. The average depth of target has dropped over the past three seasons from 8.18 in 2019 to 7.79 in 2020 to 7.75 in 2021, per TruMedia. The rate of passes thrown at or behind the line of scrimmage has risen each year since at least 2013 and in 2021, 71.4% of passes were thrown within 10 yards of the line of scrimmage.
With so many passes getting thrown to that area, the defensive adjustment has been to flood more defenders into throwing lanes. That has come at the expense of blitzing aggressively.

(In 2021), defenses blitzed just 25.3% of the time, the lowest rate over a full season since at least 2013, per TruMedia.
In 2021, defenses rushed four on 69.9% of plays. That would have been a top-10 rate for a singular defense in 2020. 18 teams were above 70% in 2021.
More defenses have used simulated pressures, which shows the threat of a blitz with multiple players around the line of scrimmage only to rush four, but disguising which four players is the point. This can give similar effects to a blitz by manipulating protection rules and potentially creating free rushers, but still getting seven defenders back in coverage.
-----------------------------------
I'm not a fan of blitzing just because it's a part of the DC's DNA. Blitz when it is the optimal way to combat the offense they are playing against on that Sunday, in that specific game time situation. The 49ers have two of the best pass rushers in Bosa and Hargrave. A benefit of having those two is not having to blitz so much and being able to put 7 in coverage. I hope Wilks finds that happy medium where he increases the 49ers blitz rate, when compared to Saleh/Ryans, but also doesn't feel the need to blitz just because that's a part of who he has been in the past.

I get what you are saying but it will be hard to diagnosis this form the sidelines. Your past is your present in some regards so it'll be hard to totally change his philosophy now. I would think he's smart enough to realize when to dial back or ramp it up. To me DR seemed to blitz more than Saleh. I hope we see more A gap blitzes. Let our linebackers get in the mix. Definitely will be interesting to see the mix.

Blitz essentially is a way of generating pressure, by sacrificing numbers in coverage. I wonder if the past blitz rates for Wilks are borne out of necessity, more than anything else. If you look at Spags, what are his blitz rates? I have the feeling, he has high blitz rates, and he'll send ppl from anywhere on the field. There is a different mentality, attacking whilst on D, vs let's get back, keep everything in front, rally to the football.

Originally posted by 9ers4eva:

Originally posted by NCommand:
I fully agree. These are team building proven conscious decisions.

Quick release QB, short area winning weapons and scheme-around are reasons not to prioritize the OL to a championship level like they do with the DL. DL pass rush is why they deprioritize the back end.

And these are conscious decisions.

One could probably make an argument ShanaLynch believes they can win a Superbowl with an average QB too based off the scheme and strength of the roster top to bottom.

They do prioritize the OL in line with most teams. They certainly don't prioritize the secondary in line with anyone else. It's apples to oranges.

We've been much closer to a championship level OL then they have ever been at QB or secondary.

Very true.

Originally posted by NCommand:

Definitely not to a championship level (only a handful of teams 'really' try for that) .......

He said "closer to",...in comparison to a position like -- say -- QB, where perhaps some OL preachers may have routinely given passes to year after year in search of problems elsewhere. This is in spite of it being the main area of the team that can make the most difference in winning or losing.

And it was wise squeezing in those 2 words, just knowing that what truly was and was not "championship level" is all conjecture left up to you to give out and take back for the other 31 teams that didn't win one.

But what cannot be debated is that w4e've been regarded as a top 5 OL even to close out a year, but never near that @ the QB spot.

Originally posted by lamontb:

Originally posted by thl408:
This article is a year old and it touches on the trend of league defenses blitzing less.

(snippets from article below)
https://www.sharpfootballanalysis.com/analysis/defense-blitz-coverage-staley-fangio-2022-sharp-football-preview/
Last year in this foreword, we explored the concept of space and how offenses were getting increasingly better at manipulating it to set up big plays and create yards after the catch. What defenses are doing now is in reaction to that — limiting the space an offense has to work with.
The increase of two-high safety shells was in part to limit the explosive pass plays.

To fight against this, offenses have gotten the ball out quicker and shorter passes have increased. The average depth of target has dropped over the past three seasons from 8.18 in 2019 to 7.79 in 2020 to 7.75 in 2021, per TruMedia. The rate of passes thrown at or behind the line of scrimmage has risen each year since at least 2013 and in 2021, 71.4% of passes were thrown within 10 yards of the line of scrimmage.
With so many passes getting thrown to that area, the defensive adjustment has been to flood more defenders into throwing lanes. That has come at the expense of blitzing aggressively.

(In 2021), defenses blitzed just 25.3% of the time, the lowest rate over a full season since at least 2013, per TruMedia.
In 2021, defenses rushed four on 69.9% of plays. That would have been a top-10 rate for a singular defense in 2020. 18 teams were above 70% in 2021.
More defenses have used simulated pressures, which shows the threat of a blitz with multiple players around the line of scrimmage only to rush four, but disguising which four players is the point. This can give similar effects to a blitz by manipulating protection rules and potentially creating free rushers, but still getting seven defenders back in coverage.
-----------------------------------
I'm not a fan of blitzing just because it's a part of the DC's DNA. Blitz when it is the optimal way to combat the offense they are playing against on that Sunday, in that specific game time situation. The 49ers have two of the best pass rushers in Bosa and Hargrave. A benefit of having those two is not having to blitz so much and being able to put 7 in coverage. I hope Wilks finds that happy medium where he increases the 49ers blitz rate, when compared to Saleh/Ryans, but also doesn't feel the need to blitz just because that's a part of who he has been in the past.

I get what you are saying but it will be hard to diagnosis this form the sidelines. Your past is your present in some regards so it'll be hard to totally change his philosophy now. I would think he's smart enough to realize when to dial back or ramp it up. To me DR seemed to blitz more than Saleh. I hope we see more A gap blitzes. Let our linebackers get in the mix. Definitely will be interesting to see the mix.

Wilks has been top 10 in blitz rate every year he's been a DC. If that trend continues, it would easily be a higher blitz rate (rank) than Saleh/Ryans, and that would be an identity change for the 49er defense (under Kyle). There are some QBs you simply should not blitz because data shows those QBs do better versus the blitz. I would think Wilks understands this and understands that with the resources put into the DL, blitzing should not be required to come across as an aggressive defensive unit.

I'm looking for more creativity when it comes to how the 2023 49ers attack the offense. For the most part, it's a veteran group so they should be able to handle a large volume playbook when it comes to various fronts, coverage disguises, being able to pivot strategies mid-game, switching up game plans week to week, etc. Wilks is also the first non-rookie DC Kyle has hired so I expect more from Wilks when it comes to in-game adjustments. There should be little that he hasn't seen before.

Originally posted by thl408:

Originally posted by lamontb:

Originally posted by thl408:
This article is a year old and it touches on the trend of league defenses blitzing less.

(snippets from article below)
https://www.sharpfootballanalysis.com/analysis/defense-blitz-coverage-staley-fangio-2022-sharp-football-preview/
Last year in this foreword, we explored the concept of space and how offenses were getting increasingly better at manipulating it to set up big plays and create yards after the catch. What defenses are doing now is in reaction to that — limiting the space an offense has to work with.
The increase of two-high safety shells was in part to limit the explosive pass plays.

To fight against this, offenses have gotten the ball out quicker and shorter passes have increased. The average depth of target has dropped over the past three seasons from 8.18 in 2019 to 7.79 in 2020 to 7.75 in 2021, per TruMedia. The rate of passes thrown at or behind the line of scrimmage has risen each year since at least 2013 and in 2021, 71.4% of passes were thrown within 10 yards of the line of scrimmage.
With so many passes getting thrown to that area, the defensive adjustment has been to flood more defenders into throwing lanes. That has come at the expense of blitzing aggressively.

(In 2021), defenses blitzed just 25.3% of the time, the lowest rate over a full season since at least 2013, per TruMedia.
In 2021, defenses rushed four on 69.9% of plays. That would have been a top-10 rate for a singular defense in 2020. 18 teams were above 70% in 2021.
More defenses have used simulated pressures, which shows the threat of a blitz with multiple players around the line of scrimmage only to rush four, but disguising which four players is the point. This can give similar effects to a blitz by manipulating protection rules and potentially creating free rushers, but still getting seven defenders back in coverage.
-----------------------------------
I'm not a fan of blitzing just because it's a part of the DC's DNA. Blitz when it is the optimal way to combat the offense they are playing against on that Sunday, in that specific game time situation. The 49ers have two of the best pass rushers in Bosa and Hargrave. A benefit of having those two is not having to blitz so much and being able to put 7 in coverage. I hope Wilks finds that happy medium where he increases the 49ers blitz rate, when compared to Saleh/Ryans, but also doesn't feel the need to blitz just because that's a part of who he has been in the past.

I get what you are saying but it will be hard to diagnosis this form the sidelines. Your past is your present in some regards so it'll be hard to totally change his philosophy now. I would think he's smart enough to realize when to dial back or ramp it up. To me DR seemed to blitz more than Saleh. I hope we see more A gap blitzes. Let our linebackers get in the mix. Definitely will be interesting to see the mix.

Wilks has been top 10 in blitz rate every year he's been a DC. If that trend continues, it would easily be a higher blitz rate (rank) than Saleh/Ryans, and that would be an identity change for the 49er defense (under Kyle). There are some QBs you simply should not blitz because data shows those QBs do better versus the blitz. I would think Wilks understands this and understands that with the resources put into the DL, blitzing should not be required to come across as an aggressive defensive unit.

I'm looking for more creativity when it comes to how the 2023 49ers attack the offense. For the most part, it's a veteran group so they should be able to handle a large volume playbook when it comes to various fronts, coverage disguises, being able to pivot strategies mid-game, switching up game plans week to week, etc. Wilks is also the first non-rookie DC Kyle has hired so I expect more from Wilks when it comes to in-game adjustments. There should be little that he hasn't seen before.

Very true. Given we've had DL and LB-centric DC's, I'm very excited for what Wilks could bring to the secondary now that these two units are solidified with talent.

To your point...coaching the young ones up properly, bigger playbook, more in-game adjustments, weekly opposition specific game plans, more exotic coverages, etc.

As to blitzing, you're right...needs to be a delicate balance here esp. if the front is doing their thing. Something to watch for and track.

So excited to see how the defense performs this year under Wilks. Seems like he takes a different approach to coaching than either of his predecessors, being much more hands on and instructional about what each player should do. The work he does with the DBs is what I love the most, being that was the weakest group last year. I still don't understand all the chatter that Dallas or Philly will have the best D in the league, but if they fly even a little under the radar it benefits us. I think this will be the top defense by a long way and if they stay healthy, may be one of the best we've seen in the Bay Area.

Originally posted by NCommand:

Originally posted by thl408:

Originally posted by lamontb:

Originally posted by thl408:
This article is a year old and it touches on the trend of league defenses blitzing less.

(snippets from article below)
https://www.sharpfootballanalysis.com/analysis/defense-blitz-coverage-staley-fangio-2022-sharp-football-preview/
Last year in this foreword, we explored the concept of space and how offenses were getting increasingly better at manipulating it to set up big plays and create yards after the catch. What defenses are doing now is in reaction to that — limiting the space an offense has to work with.
The increase of two-high safety shells was in part to limit the explosive pass plays.

To fight against this, offenses have gotten the ball out quicker and shorter passes have increased. The average depth of target has dropped over the past three seasons from 8.18 in 2019 to 7.79 in 2020 to 7.75 in 2021, per TruMedia. The rate of passes thrown at or behind the line of scrimmage has risen each year since at least 2013 and in 2021, 71.4% of passes were thrown within 10 yards of the line of scrimmage.
With so many passes getting thrown to that area, the defensive adjustment has been to flood more defenders into throwing lanes. That has come at the expense of blitzing aggressively.

(In 2021), defenses blitzed just 25.3% of the time, the lowest rate over a full season since at least 2013, per TruMedia.
In 2021, defenses rushed four on 69.9% of plays. That would have been a top-10 rate for a singular defense in 2020. 18 teams were above 70% in 2021.
More defenses have used simulated pressures, which shows the threat of a blitz with multiple players around the line of scrimmage only to rush four, but disguising which four players is the point. This can give similar effects to a blitz by manipulating protection rules and potentially creating free rushers, but still getting seven defenders back in coverage.
-----------------------------------
I'm not a fan of blitzing just because it's a part of the DC's DNA. Blitz when it is the optimal way to combat the offense they are playing against on that Sunday, in that specific game time situation. The 49ers have two of the best pass rushers in Bosa and Hargrave. A benefit of having those two is not having to blitz so much and being able to put 7 in coverage. I hope Wilks finds that happy medium where he increases the 49ers blitz rate, when compared to Saleh/Ryans, but also doesn't feel the need to blitz just because that's a part of who he has been in the past.

I get what you are saying but it will be hard to diagnosis this form the sidelines. Your past is your present in some regards so it'll be hard to totally change his philosophy now. I would think he's smart enough to realize when to dial back or ramp it up. To me DR seemed to blitz more than Saleh. I hope we see more A gap blitzes. Let our linebackers get in the mix. Definitely will be interesting to see the mix.

Wilks has been top 10 in blitz rate every year he's been a DC. If that trend continues, it would easily be a higher blitz rate (rank) than Saleh/Ryans, and that would be an identity change for the 49er defense (under Kyle). There are some QBs you simply should not blitz because data shows those QBs do better versus the blitz. I would think Wilks understands this and understands that with the resources put into the DL, blitzing should not be required to come across as an aggressive defensive unit.

I'm looking for more creativity when it comes to how the 2023 49ers attack the offense. For the most part, it's a veteran group so they should be able to handle a large volume playbook when it comes to various fronts, coverage disguises, being able to pivot strategies mid-game, switching up game plans week to week, etc. Wilks is also the first non-rookie DC Kyle has hired so I expect more from Wilks when it comes to in-game adjustments. There should be little that he hasn't seen before.

Very true. Given we've had DL and LB-centric DC's, I'm very excited for what Wilks could bring to the secondary now that these two units are solidified with talent.

To your point...coaching the young ones up properly, bigger playbook, more in-game adjustments, weekly opposition specific game plans, more exotic coverages, etc.

As to blitzing, you're right...needs to be a delicate balance here esp. if the front is doing their thing. Something to watch for and track.

Reports from camp are that he's already dialing up slot CB and safety blitzes. Ryans did this too but the frequency was not high. If Kyle gives Wilks full autonomy, something Kyle may not have done with the two previous rookie DCs (Saleh/Ryans), we'll see a very different defense this season. Because it's clear that it's in Wilks' DNA to blitz often.

Originally posted by thl408:
Reports from camp are that he's already dialing up slot CB and safety blitzes. Ryans did this too but the frequency was not high. If Kyle gives Wilks full autonomy, something Kyle may not have done with the two previous rookie DCs (Saleh/Ryans), we'll see a very different defense this season. Because it's clear that it's in Wilks' DNA to blitz often.

We will see. Not sure if that was something he wanted to do or not. What he was preaching to the team day 1 of TC, is they gave way too many big plays, last season. He was preaching, keep the action in front of you, rally to the football, which is what DeMeco was preaching, also. I don't know if Wilks has every had a front like this, and if he can get pressure with 4, he may blitz less. We do have the ability to blitz from anywhere tho, so as to not be predictable, Huf is skilled at timing it up, getting in the backfield.

" When a player makes a mistake, Wilks stands and stares at that player for a good 10 seconds, maybe making mental notes. And then when the period ends, Wilks walks over to the player who made the mistake and calmly coaches him. Talks to him. Shows him what to do. Wilks did this today with Ambry Thomas and Deommodore Lenoir. You can tell Wilks is a real teacher who cares deeply about his players."

This quote pop-ed into my news feed a few hours ago.....

I love this quote....

No banging clipboards, no cold shoulders, no time out....no dog house.....

Calm, collected, with his eye on the end results.....

I love everything about that quote, and what it says about the coach.

Originally posted by Dshearn:
" When a player makes a mistake, Wilks stands and stares at that player for a good 10 seconds, maybe making mental notes. And then when the period ends, Wilks walks over to the player who made the mistake and calmly coaches him. Talks to him. Shows him what to do. Wilks did this today with Ambry Thomas and Deommodore Lenoir. You can tell Wilks is a real teacher who cares deeply about his players."

This quote pop-ed into my news feed a few hours ago.....

I love this quote....

No banging clipboards, no cold shoulders, no time out....no dog house.....

Calm, collected, with his eye on the end results.....

I love everything about that quote, and what it says about the coach.

Great post, Wilks is gonna go beyond our prior DCs imo, I am seeing the same things you are Dshearn. You can see why this man was hired as a HC in the league.

I like the slot CB blitzes a lot better than safety blitz. Seems like the safety is always coming from so far away that the qb has time to read the blitz and make the correct read. Where ass the slot cb usually catches the qb by surprise. Or A gap blitzes that put immediate pressure right in the qb's face. Gonna be interesting. Sounds like our corners will see more man to man.

Originally posted by lamontb:
I like the slot CB blitzes a lot better than safety blitz. Seems like the safety is always coming from so far away that the qb has time to read the blitz and make the correct read. Where ass the slot cb usually catches the qb by surprise. Or A gap blitzes that put immediate pressure right in the qb's face. Gonna be interesting. Sounds like our corners will see more man to man.

I most of the time agree but Huf seems to have a special knack for timing blitzes, eerily like Troy back in the day.

Originally posted by Dshearn:
" When a player makes a mistake, Wilks stands and stares at that player for a good 10 seconds, maybe making mental notes. And then when the period ends, Wilks walks over to the player who made the mistake and calmly coaches him. Talks to him. Shows him what to do. Wilks did this today with Ambry Thomas and Deommodore Lenoir. You can tell Wilks is a real teacher who cares deeply about his players."

This quote pop-ed into my news feed a few hours ago.....

I love this quote....

No banging clipboards, no cold shoulders, no time out....no dog house.....

Calm, collected, with his eye on the end results.....

I love everything about that quote, and what it says about the coach.

"This is the complete opposite of Kyle Shanahan. Who does nothing but look at his play sheet for the next play to call." ~ Grant Cohn

Originally posted by thl408:

Originally posted by NCommand:

Originally posted by thl408:

Originally posted by lamontb:

Originally posted by thl408:
This article is a year old and it touches on the trend of league defenses blitzing less.

(snippets from article below)
https://www.sharpfootballanalysis.com/analysis/defense-blitz-coverage-staley-fangio-2022-sharp-football-preview/
Last year in this foreword, we explored the concept of space and how offenses were getting increasingly better at manipulating it to set up big plays and create yards after the catch. What defenses are doing now is in reaction to that — limiting the space an offense has to work with.
The increase of two-high safety shells was in part to limit the explosive pass plays.

To fight against this, offenses have gotten the ball out quicker and shorter passes have increased. The average depth of target has dropped over the past three seasons from 8.18 in 2019 to 7.79 in 2020 to 7.75 in 2021, per TruMedia. The rate of passes thrown at or behind the line of scrimmage has risen each year since at least 2013 and in 2021, 71.4% of passes were thrown within 10 yards of the line of scrimmage.
With so many passes getting thrown to that area, the defensive adjustment has been to flood more defenders into throwing lanes. That has come at the expense of blitzing aggressively.

(In 2021), defenses blitzed just 25.3% of the time, the lowest rate over a full season since at least 2013, per TruMedia.
In 2021, defenses rushed four on 69.9% of plays. That would have been a top-10 rate for a singular defense in 2020. 18 teams were above 70% in 2021.
More defenses have used simulated pressures, which shows the threat of a blitz with multiple players around the line of scrimmage only to rush four, but disguising which four players is the point. This can give similar effects to a blitz by manipulating protection rules and potentially creating free rushers, but still getting seven defenders back in coverage.
-----------------------------------
I'm not a fan of blitzing just because it's a part of the DC's DNA. Blitz when it is the optimal way to combat the offense they are playing against on that Sunday, in that specific game time situation. The 49ers have two of the best pass rushers in Bosa and Hargrave. A benefit of having those two is not having to blitz so much and being able to put 7 in coverage. I hope Wilks finds that happy medium where he increases the 49ers blitz rate, when compared to Saleh/Ryans, but also doesn't feel the need to blitz just because that's a part of who he has been in the past.

I get what you are saying but it will be hard to diagnosis this form the sidelines. Your past is your present in some regards so it'll be hard to totally change his philosophy now. I would think he's smart enough to realize when to dial back or ramp it up. To me DR seemed to blitz more than Saleh. I hope we see more A gap blitzes. Let our linebackers get in the mix. Definitely will be interesting to see the mix.

Wilks has been top 10 in blitz rate every year he's been a DC. If that trend continues, it would easily be a higher blitz rate (rank) than Saleh/Ryans, and that would be an identity change for the 49er defense (under Kyle). There are some QBs you simply should not blitz because data shows those QBs do better versus the blitz. I would think Wilks understands this and understands that with the resources put into the DL, blitzing should not be required to come across as an aggressive defensive unit.

I'm looking for more creativity when it comes to how the 2023 49ers attack the offense. For the most part, it's a veteran group so they should be able to handle a large volume playbook when it comes to various fronts, coverage disguises, being able to pivot strategies mid-game, switching up game plans week to week, etc. Wilks is also the first non-rookie DC Kyle has hired so I expect more from Wilks when it comes to in-game adjustments. There should be little that he hasn't seen before.

Very true. Given we've had DL and LB-centric DC's, I'm very excited for what Wilks could bring to the secondary now that these two units are solidified with talent.

To your point...coaching the young ones up properly, bigger playbook, more in-game adjustments, weekly opposition specific game plans, more exotic coverages, etc.

As to blitzing, you're right...needs to be a delicate balance here esp. if the front is doing their thing. Something to watch for and track.

Reports from camp are that he's already dialing up slot CB and safety blitzes. Ryans did this too but the frequency was not high. If Kyle gives Wilks full autonomy, something Kyle may not have done with the two previous rookie DCs (Saleh/Ryans), we'll see a very different defense this season. Because it's clear that it's in Wilks' DNA to blitz often.

I think from Warner's first comments on Wilks to early reports, the bold is becoming clear. Perhaps, even with a great front 7, he's still going to bring it.

Originally posted by thl408:
This article is a year old and it touches on the trend of league defenses blitzing less.

(snippets from article below)
https://www.sharpfootballanalysis.com/analysis/defense-blitz-coverage-staley-fangio-2022-sharp-football-preview/
Last year in this foreword, we explored the concept of space and how offenses were getting increasingly better at manipulating it to set up big plays and create yards after the catch. What defenses are doing now is in reaction to that — limiting the space an offense has to work with.
The increase of two-high safety shells was in part to limit the explosive pass plays.

To fight against this, offenses have gotten the ball out quicker and shorter passes have increased. The average depth of target has dropped over the past three seasons from 8.18 in 2019 to 7.79 in 2020 to 7.75 in 2021, per TruMedia. The rate of passes thrown at or behind the line of scrimmage has risen each year since at least 2013 and in 2021, 71.4% of passes were thrown within 10 yards of the line of scrimmage.
With so many passes getting thrown to that area, the defensive adjustment has been to flood more defenders into throwing lanes. That has come at the expense of blitzing aggressively.

(In 2021), defenses blitzed just 25.3% of the time, the lowest rate over a full season since at least 2013, per TruMedia.
In 2021, defenses rushed four on 69.9% of plays. That would have been a top-10 rate for a singular defense in 2020. 18 teams were above 70% in 2021.
More defenses have used simulated pressures, which shows the threat of a blitz with multiple players around the line of scrimmage only to rush four, but disguising which four players is the point. This can give similar effects to a blitz by manipulating protection rules and potentially creating free rushers, but still getting seven defenders back in coverage.
-----------------------------------
I'm not a fan of blitzing just because it's a part of the DC's DNA. Blitz when it is the optimal way to combat the offense they are playing against on that Sunday, in that specific game time situation. The 49ers have two of the best pass rushers in Bosa and Hargrave. A benefit of having those two is not having to blitz so much and being able to put 7 in coverage. I hope Wilks finds that happy medium where he increases the 49ers blitz rate, when compared to Saleh/Ryans, but also doesn't feel the need to blitz just because that's a part of who he has been in the past.

I'm not a fan of blitzing for blitzing's sake either, but you can't ignore the rules changes that allows the offense free reign against the defense. The defense has its hands tied behind its back due to all the concussion issues the rules committee is trying to address. They just can't sit back and be nicked and dimed to death.

Ball controll offense and an aggressive defense that causes turnovers can work. Blitzing to cause turnovers vs blitzing to stop the pass, in my mind, are two different kinds of strategies. One will work with Kyle's ball control offense, the other might not.