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Two weeks ago, Kyle Shanahan issued a challenge to his team entering the bye week. He told his players to think hard about what they wanted out of the final six games and beyond.
Two games later, the 49ers (2-10) hardly responded like an inspired team, after suffering convincing losses in back-to-back weeks. In Week 12, they lost, 27-9 to the last-place Tampa Bay Buccaneers. And Sunday, the Seahawks trounced the 49ers, 43-16, their 10th straight loss to their NFC West foe.
Former 49ers safety and current NBC Sports Bay Area analyst Donte Whitner joined KNBR’s Gary & Larry Tuesday to discuss the recent losses. Whitner had strong words for the effort, or lack thereof, from the 49ers secondary against Seattle.
“From the secondary point of view, the only guy that I saw came up and really wanted to lay the hat on somebody from the secondary was Richard Sherman. Just knowing the pedigree and what he has built on and what he is made of, he’s not going to quit,” Whitner told KNBR. “There are certain guys that are turning things down out there on the football field. I saw (Ahkello) Witherspoon not attempt to make a couple tackles out there. I would say, guys are looking forward to the offseason right now.”
Whitner has been critical of Witherspoon throughout recent weeks. Whitner feels Witherspoon has all the physical talent in the world, but he takes plays off.
Whitner was asked whether the lack of effort he speaks of is a reflection on the coaching staff. Whitner said he does not, and that most of the blame falls on the players and an absence of veteran leadership.
“I don’t think that’s a reflection on the coach,” Whitner said. “I think Kyle Shanahan, he really knows what he is doing. They have been hit with the injury bug this year, lot of bad luck, guys being in and out of the lineup, and he continues to fight and put up points. I don’t think it’s on him. I think it’s just, they don’t have any veterans. When things go bad, you need somebody around that’s going to be like, ‘It’s going to be all right. Let’s stick to the script and do things like we are supposed to do them.’”
Listen to the Gary & Larry podcast below. To hear Whitner talk about the 49ers’ lack of effort, skip to the 1:05 mark.