What Warner said in 49ers locker room after crushing loss to Vikings originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Fred Warner had some pointed and honest comments for his 49ers teammates after a frustrating 23-17 defeat At Minnesota Vikings Sunday at US Bank Stadium.
Speaking to the media after the game, the three-time All-Pro explained what he told the team.
“I told the team it’s never going to be a problem playing hard, we’re always going to play hard,” Warner said. “We’ve got so much talent in this room, we’re always going to play hard. But it’s about playing smarter, we’ve got to protect the ball, on special teams, we can’t let that punt get blocked. And then defensively, the game plan, when we say we’ve got to stop the run and be good on third down and we don’t do any of those things, it’s going to be a long day.”
While Warner was playing at an All-Pro level, the rest of San FranciscoThe defense struggled to contain the former 49ers quarterback Sam Darnold and the Vikings because of sloppy play.
The most glaring of these errors was the 97-yard touchdown bomb Safety Ji’Ayir Brown traded to Vikings star receiver Justin Jeffersonwhich completely changed the tenor of the game.
Add to that a blocked punt and numerous offensive mistakes that are accompanied by questionable decisions on fourth down. by Coach Kyle Shanahan, and you had all the ingredients for a debilitating loss.
While the 49ers are still are not in perfect health, The team had plenty of opportunities to take control of the game. Every time San Francisco needed a defensive stop or a big offensive play, it failed, opening the door for Minnesota to take control.
The 49ers are now 1-1 entering the 2024 NFL season, with a divisional matchup against the The Los Angeles Rams looms on the horizon next Sunday.
