Steve Wilks didn't let 49ers CB Deommodore play as nickel in the Super Bowl

The 49ers have still not recovered from their third consecutive Super Bowl loss.

While they should be focusing on the upcoming season, they are still looking to the past and trying to figure out why they lost to the Chiefs in overtime. Recently, cornerback Deommodore Lenoir appeared on Richard Sherman's podcast and essentially blamed former defensive coordinator Steve Wilks, who the 49ers fired shortly after the Super Bowl loss.

“I spoke with [Steve] Wilks before the game and I just told him how I felt,” Lenoir said. “I watch a lot of film, so I just saw where the ball was going. And I was like, 'He's mainly between the hashes, he's going in the slots.' They don't have a real dominant outside player, so I told him I felt like I should be in the slot this game.

“I would never question a coach, never question decisions or anything like that. That was the only time I came to him and told him that. They have their philosophy and what they think works, what would work, and they made that decision. I thought, OK, I'm just going to go with it and try to do whatever I can to help us win.”

And of course the 49ers didn't. But it's hard to put all the blame on Wilks. In his defense, Chiefs slot receiver Rashee Rice finished the game with just 39 receiving yards, so Wilks did a pretty good job. And if he had taken Lenoir's advice and put him in the slot, Wilks would have had to play Ambry Thomas on the outside in the nickel defense, and Thomas would have found a way to lose the game all by himself. So I have no problem with Wilks' decision.