The Minnesota Vikings knocked off the San Francisco 49ers on Monday night last season. Kirk Cousins had yet to go down with his season-ending Achilles injury, but they were without the services of star wideout Justin Jefferson. Kyle Shanahan’s team wasn’t fully healthy either, however, and they’ll bring two stars on Sunday.
The 49ers Bring a Different Team to Minnesota on Sunday
Last year, the Vikings won a 22-17 game against the 49ers, and they did so without having to deal with either Deebo Samuel or Trent Williams. The loss of that pairing is a substantial hit to the San Francisco offense. Trent Williams may be the best tackle in football, and Samuel is the ultimate versatile option for Brock Purdy.
The Vikings held Christian McCaffrey in check as he racked up just 45 yards. It remains to be seen if he will play on Sunday, but inclinations are that he will be ready to give it a go. Without Samuel, the 49ers leaned heavily on McCaffrey in the passing game, and tight end George Kittle finished with a team-leading 78 yards.
Samuel was targeted a team-high nine times in the 49ers Week 1 win over the New York Jets. He is very clearly a focal point of the offense, and Purdy views him as one of his most trusted options. The Vikings have a much better cornerback position this season thanks to the signing of Stephon Gilmore, but the secondary will need to be locked in.
Last week the Vikings got pressure on New York Giants Daniel Jones despite blitzing at a pace that Brian Flores has never previously shown. He’ll likely dial up the pressure in Week 2, and the hope would be to get the ball out of Purdy’s hands and fluster him in the pocket. The Vikings got sacks without necessarily pinning their ears back in Week 1, and a different look could provide the same result.
The New York Giants certainly didn’t provide much resistance for the Vikings to start the season. That won’t be the case on Sunday.
The San Francisco 49ers are a good football team, and while they are expected to win handsomely, the Vikings are capable of getting the job done. This isn’t the same opponent Minnesota faced last season, but Kevin O’Connell’s team is a different version as well.
Ted Schwerzler is a blogger from the Twin Cities that is focused on all things Minnesota Twins and Minnesota Vikings. He’s active on Twitter and writes weekly for Twins Daily. As a former college athlete and avid sports fan, covering our pro teams with a passion has always seemed like such a natural outlet.
