49ers defensive coordinator Steve Wilks said last week that his unit’s effort level in the NFC Championship Game win over the Lions was unacceptable and safety Tashaun Gipson takes no issue with that assessment.
Gipson said on Tuesday that the issues were “magnified” because they came in such a big game, but that “it’s unacceptable to do it” at any point in the season and said the team was “fortunate” to be in position to play again this Sunday as a result. Gipson also said that he’s not concerned about a repeat when the team takes the field against the Chiefs in Super Bowl LVIII.
“That film was hard,” Gipson said, via Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com. “You had to see that and you had to hear some choice words, because that’s not our brand of football. We are a lot better football team than that. It’s nothing I’m worried about moving forward.”
The 49ers’ overall body of work this season suggests that a repeat is unlikely and the focus on making sure it doesn’t happen should only help the bid to put up a better showing this time around.