The Minnesota Vikings are set to take on the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday afternoon at U.S. Bank Stadium. It’s the third time in the last 15 years that the 49ers will be the Vikings’ home opener. It’s also a chance for Minnesota to extend their seven-game winning streak to eight games at home, as the 49ers haven’t beaten the Vikings on the road since 1992.
It’s an interesting matchup between two teams who are currently 1-0 and the Vikings need this win as their schedule is tough over the next four weeks. How can they get it done? We asked our 49ers beat writer Nicholas McGee three pivotal questions about the team and Sunday’s game.
The 49ers didn’t miss a beat with Jordan Mason playing in place of Christian McCaffrey. Is that sustainable like it was for Kyle’s dad Mike?
I think in terms of rushing production it is sustainable. He fits the scheme to a tee and is running behind an O-Line that does a tremendous job of opening huge running lanes. Where I see an issue with an extended absence for McCaffrey is in the passing game. McCaffrey’s play as a receiver out of the backfield and lined up in the formation and the way it manipulates defenses has been akin to a cheat code since he arrived. Eventually, not having that is going to present problems for Brock Purdy and the passing game. Mason might not produce with the same metronomic consistency as McCaffrey, but I expect the run game to continue to prosper.-McGee
Jauan Jennings was on the injury report all week. How important is he to the offense, especially in the running game?
That’s a really interesting question. Jennings really impressed me with his Week 1 performance, he looked fast and demonstrated his underrated route-running craft. He also reiterated his value in the run game with a super impressive block on Will McDonald. Kyle Shanahan and the 49ers players have made a point of expressing how much they value Jauan whenever they’ve been asked about him.
Still, as much as he is an excellent third receiver, Jennings isn’t somebody I expect the Vikings or any other team to be game planning for, whereas they clearly would for McCaffrey. There are probably only two or three players tops on the 49er offense that would be a bigger loss than McCaffrey, and that’s what makes their performance without him on Monday so remarkable.-McGee
What can the Vikings do in the run game to exploit the 49ers defense?
In short, use their aggressiveness against them. The run defense was excellent against the Jets, however, with Aaron Rodgers unable to move like he used to, the 49ers had no reason to hesitate when it came to playing downhill against the run. With his underrated athleticism, the Vikings can use Darnold to create that doubt in the minds of his former teammates.
The Niners have long since had issues defending quarterbacks who can run and correctly reading the mesh point on zone reads and plays of that ilk (see: the 4th and 1 that could have won them the Super Bowl had Nick Bosa not crashed down and given Patrick Mahomes room to run). I think a few plays of that nature, where the Vikings give Darnold the chance to use his legs, could slow the 49ers down and have them second-guessing. It helps Minnesota’s cause that Aaron Jones has had a lot of success running the ball against San Francisco in recent times.-McGee