The Vikings had a stellar Game 1 last week. Kevin O’Connell’s offense looked sharp, getting the better of New York Giants DC Shane Bowen. Defensive coordinator Brian Flores was also on his game, keeping Daniel Jones and defensive play caller Mike Kafka on their heels throughout the day.
This weekend will prove a much more difficult challenge. Most consider Kyle Shanahan one of the best in the business at play calling. He also has playmakers on the offense across the board, such as Brandon Aiyuk, Deebo Samuel at wide receiver, and George Kittle at TE. Jordan Mason also led a backfield that produced 180 yards. Last weekend, the San Francisco 49ers handled the New York Jets’ vaunted defense without star playmaker Christian McCaffrey.
One thing to keep an eye on will be whether Minnesota’s interior can keep San Francisco’s run game at bay. Like the Vikings, the Niners feature a traditional fullback in Kyle Juszczyk. The Baltimore Ravens drafted Juszczyk in the fourth round out of Harvard in 2013, but the 49ers have featured him since signing him in 2017. That’s right, there’s a Harvard graduate playing iso fullback in the NFL! The Niners also use Juszczyk at TE and FB. He’s often at the point of attack in their run game.
Brock Purdy leads San Francisco’s offense, and he’s one of the better stories of finding a diamond in the rough in NFL draft history. The Niners drafted Purdy with the final pick in 2022, the “Mr. Irrelevant” spot in the draft until his vindication.
Purdy goes against the traditional QB archetype in the NFL. He’s not tall, doesn’t have a cannon for an arm, and doesn’t have tremendous speed. However, he’s an incredibly accurate, plucky quarterback with tremendous touch, agility, and knowledge of his offense. He has already led his team to the brink of the promised land under Shanahan. With San Francisco’s weapons, he will present a much different challenge than Daniel Jones.
San Francisco’s offensive line looks like the weak point of their offense. Will Flores and his crew be able to repeat last week’s pressure and make Purdy look as uncomfortable as Jones? One of the keys will be whether they can contain the Niners’ run game and win in pass-rushing situations up front.
The 49ers’ defense just handcuffed an Aaron Rodgers lead offense, holding Rodgers to 19 of 29 for 167 yards and one TD with one INT. They are lead by one of the best middle linebackers in the NFL in Fred Warner, who can makes plays sideline to sideline and plays well in coverage and against the run. He also is an incredibly savvy tackler; he punched the ball out and forced a fumble against the Jets.
San Francisco’s defensive line features two tremendous challenges for the Vikings up front. Nick Bosa is one of the best DEs in the league. Additionally, No. 99 Maliek Collins wreaked havoc against the Jets in Week 1, forcing a fumble and applying consistent pressure on Rodgers. The Vikings didn’t give up too much pressure in Game 1 against the Giants, but when they did it was usually against one of their guards. Keep an eye on No. 99 in third-and-long situations and hope that Ingram and Blake Brandel can hold their own.
In their game against the Jets, the 49ers defense played a ton of zone early, and Rodgers and Garrett Wilson were able to connect and keep the ball rolling, taking an early lead. However, they tightened things up in the second half, skewed their coverages more to helping on Wilson, and limited New York’s offense when Lazard and Co. could not answer the call.
Will KOC be able to get Jefferson free consistently? Will someone be able answer the call in the potential absence of Addison if the Jets lean their defensive coverage towards JJ? Can Aaron Jones continue to spearhead the resurgence of Minnesota’s ground game?
Minnesota’s matchup with the Niners is fascinating. We see two similarly constructed teams go face to face. Both teams feature head coaches considered great offensive coordinators and QB whisperers. The matchup between Flores and Shanahan will be incredible to watch on an X’s and O’s level. It will also be of great interest to see how KOC matches up with rookie DC Nick Sorensen.
Coordinator Win-Loss Chart so far:
Flores: 1-0
KOC: 1-0
