Turnovers, Miscommunication and Miscues
From the very first snap of the game the 49ers didn't look quite right. They started the game off with a three and out, and then having a punt blocked on their following possession. They started to build some momentum back, but that was killed by a turnover on downs after a long 88-yard drive stalled out on Minnesota's one yard line. A missed block that led to a free rusher forced Purdy to get the ball out quick, which ended up getting tipped and falling incomplete. Two plays later 49ers safety Ji'ayir Brown had a blown coverage, letting Vikings superstar Justin Jefferson get behind him for what ended up being a 97-yard touchdown. The rest of the game was marked with miscues just like these throughout that was just too much for the 49ers to be able to overcome.
Fred Warner's Heroics Kept 49ers In the Game
Fred Warner played another incredible game and should be on the shortlist for the Defensive Player of The Year award at this point. Warner forced two redzone turnovers that stopped the game from becoming a 3-score deficit for the 49ers. The first was an incredible diving interception that very few, if any other linebackers in the league could've made. The 49ers were able to take advantage of the turnover with a touchdown to make the score 10-7 instead of a potential 17-0 deficit that it could've been had Warner not made that incredible play. The second turnover that he forced, was a "Peanut Punch" similar to the one he had last week against the Jets. This one was at the one-yard line, preventing the Vikings from going up 27-7. The 49ers were able to capitalize on this turnover as well with another touchdown to make the score 20-14. On the following drive Warner was able to "Peanut Punch" the ball out again on a Darnold scramble, but unfortunately this one ended up out of bounds. Fred continues to look like far and away the best linebacker in the league, and at just 27 years old, if he keeps up this pace, he will be one of the best linebackers the League has ever seen.
Purdy's Up and Down Day
Brock Purdy didn't have the best outing, but I wouldn't classify it as a bad game. He went 28-36 with 319 yards 1 Touchdown and 1 interception. He had two costly turnovers that gave the Vikings the ball in 49ers territory. The interception was a throw that was forced into tight coverage to Kyle Juszczyk, the ball got tipped, and after bouncing around, ended up in the hands of a Viking's Defender. His fumble was an odd one, watching it live it looked like a defender had stripped the ball, but the replay showed that the ball just slipped out of Purdy's hand. He made a number of nice throws, and led multiple long drives, including a 99-yard touchdown drive that gave the 49ers a chance to get back in the game. Purdy will be looking to protect the ball more throughout the rest of the season.
Defense Continues to Struggle on Third Downs
The 49ers defense had a good performance week one vs the Jets, but they struggled to get off the field on third downs, and that continued in this game. The Vikings went 7-12 on third down good for a conversion rate of 60%. Their inability to get off the field on third down was made clear on a late game field goal drive from The Vikings. They went on a 14 play 62-yard drive that took up almost 7 minutes when the 49ers desperately needed to get the ball back. The 49ers defense gave up three third down conversions that allowed the drive to continue. Darnold picked on 49ers new addition Isaac Yiadom on all three of these conversions. Yiadom gave up a quick out right for 11 yards on a third and 7, a deep seam route for 26 yards on third and 8, and a completion over the middle for 5 yards on a third and 2. Giving up this final long scoring drive was the back breaker in the 49ers loss, and they will have to find a way to get off the field at a better rate to have a successful season.
Positives From the Loss
While the 49ers loss certainly wasn't ideal, there are some positives to take away from it. The first and most important is that the team had no major injuries to report after the game. After scares from stars Nick Bosa and George Kittle, coming away with a clean bill of health is huge news for the team. Jordan Mason continued to shine in this one as head had 20 carries for 100 yards. He should continue to find success filling for an injured Christian McCaffrey over the next several weeks. An early season stumble is never good, but the 49ers have always struggle playing in Minnesota and haven't had a win there since 1992. An interesting stat to keep in mind is that in all 8 seasons that the 49ers have gone on to play in the Superbowl, they lost to the Vikings in the regular season. You would like to win this game, but the loss shouldn't affect the season much moving forward as long as they can adjust and fix their miscues.
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