Written By Jesse Randall
9/13/24
The House of Horrors
The San Francisco 49ers head into Minneapolis Minnesota on Sunday, a place they haven't won at in 32 years. Their most recent matchup was last year in the middle of the 49ers 3 game skid where they lost 17-22. Since 1992 the 49ers are 0-7 playing in Minnesota. This is certainly a trend the 49ers will be hoping to put a stop to on Sunday.
What To Expect from the Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a much different team than the one the 49ers saw last year. Most notably, Kirk Cousins is now playing for the Atlanta Falcons. The 49ers are very familiar with the Vikings new starting quarterback Sam Darnold, as he spent the previous season backing up Brock Purdy. Darnold had a very impressive debut with the Vikings last week, as he completed nearly 80% of his passes for 208 yards, 2 touchdowns and 1 interception. The Vikings also found a lot of success on the ground against the Giants as Aaron Jones averaged almost 7 yards a carry. Minnesota is certainly not lacking in talent, as they have a loaded receiving core with Superstar Justin Jefferson and young stud Jordan Addison. Their defense is littered with a number of savvy vets with cornerback Stephon Gilmore, safety Harrison Smith, and defensive lineman Harrison Phillips.
Defensive Matchups to Watch
There will be a lot of intriguing matchups to watch throughout the game between the Vikings offense and the 49ers defense. Any time you play the Vikings, the number one concern is containing Justin Jefferson. I expect them to move him all around, but he will likely be lining up mostly against Deommodore Lenoir and Isaac Yiadom. Jordan Addison, their usual number two receiver was ruled out for the game, so it will be Brandon Powell and Jalen Nailor who will be asked to step up. The second most important thing to focus on after containing Justin Jefferson will be not allowing them to get Aaron Jones rolling in the running game. The former Packer had a very good game the last time he played the 49ers in last year's divisional round and looked dominant in his debut with the Vikings. It will be an interesting challenge for first year defensive coordinator Nick Sorensen to try and find a balance of containing the Vikings running game while also not allowing Justin Jefferson to have a huge day. The Giants were able to put some good pressure on Sam Darnold last week, and Darnold doesn't typically get the ball out as quick as Aaron Rodgers did last week. I expect to see Darnold under pressure throughout the game, and there will be potential for a big game from Nick Bosa and Leonard Floyd. If the defense can force the Vikings into third and long situations that should allow the 49ers talented pass rush to feast on the Vikings sub-par pass protection.
Offensive Matchups to Watch
The Vikings defense doesn't have near the Starpower that its offense does but make no mistake they are a formidable unit. Their biggest strength has to be the secondary headlined by former All-Pro's Harrison Smith and Stephon Gilmore. Minnesota's front seven doesn't have the talent that New York's does, so I expect the 49ers to try to replicate the dominance on the ground that they showed last week. The Viking's secondary is talented, but their linebackers are more of a question mark. I expect Shanahan and Purdy to attack the middle of the field throughout the night, taking advantage of what could be the weakest point of the Vikings defense. Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores is a master at disguising coverages and blitzes. These disguises gave Purdy some issues in their matchup last year, as that ended up being one of Brock's worst games of the year, albeit the 49ers were missing some starters with the biggest being Trent Williams. I fully expect Purdy to be more prepared for Flores' defensive scheme this time around, having Trent Williams, and impressive rookie right guard Dominick Puni should give Purdy more time to recognize the coverages post snap, and dissect the defense from there. If Purdy and the star-studded 49ers offense can adjust and deal with Flores' scheme better, than I believe the offensive unit could be in for a big game.
Final Predictions of the Game
The 49ers may not have had much success in Minnesota for the last 32 years, but I expect that to change in a big way on Sunday. If the 49ers defense can contain Minnesota's run game, then I believe they can force Darnold into making costly mistakes. After coming out humming in week one, the offense should be able to continue their success, as the already talented group could be seeing the return of Christian Mccaffrey. I expect the 49ers will leave Minnesota 2-0 with another impressive double-digit victory.
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