On Monday night at U.S. Bank Stadium, the Minnesota Vikings emerged victorious 22-17 against the San Francisco 49ers in a thrilling game that was tight throughout.
Kirk Cousins, the quarterback for the Vikings, found rookie wide receiver Jordan Addison for two touchdown throws. Meanwhile, Minnesota improved to 3-4 in the fourth quarter by intercepting 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy twice. After beginning the season 5-0, the 49ers (5-2) have already lost two straight games despite Christian McCaffrey, their running back, scoring two additional touchdowns.
Vikings of Minnesota
The Vikings will find it difficult to consider the type of midseason sell-off that many supporters and members of the media have been predicting. The Vikings’ win against the much favored 49ers on Monday night moved them to within one game of.500. With a less difficult schedule ahead, they will be more focused on making the playoffs than on dealing veterans and taking a high first-round selection in the 2024 draft.
Safety Camryn Bynum didn’t declare the game over until he intercepted two late 49ers drives. However, the Vikings would be justified in thinking that their bad luck has run out as they prepare for games against the Green Bay Packers, Atlanta Falcons, and New Orleans Saints, as well as the potential return of star wideout Justin Jefferson.
This season, the Vikings’ seven games have all been decided by a single score. They memorably won 11-0 in these games the previous season. Who can say what will happen next?
On a breakthrough performance, buy or sell: Addison was the genuine thing, as anybody who witnessed the Vikings training camp could attest. This was recently said by cousins, who also added, “He’s a great player.” And all it took for the rest of the NFL to notice it was Jefferson’s injury. On Monday night, Addison caught seven catches for 123 yards and two scores. Shortly before halftime, he snatched a 60-yard pass from 49ers cornerback Charvarius Ward. After recovering from a bout of cramping, Addison made a 14-yard reception on third down at the 2:19 mark to help clinch the victory. His six receiving touchdowns rank second in the NFL.
Unsettling trend: When Ward knocked away a throw meant for Addison, the Vikings gave up a first-quarter turnover for the fourth time this season, more than any other club in a complete season, much alone seven games, since 2020. From a score standpoint, the turnover was ineffective since the 49ers fumbled straight back to them on the next series. It’s safe to say that’s a really risky way to live.
Breakdown of QB: When it came to “Monday Night Football,” Cousins had only won two of his twelve career games. He was tied for the most defeats of any quarterback in NFL history with at least ten starts. However, on a night when the Vikings didn’t seem to trust their rushing game, he played wonderfully against one of the best defenses in the NFL. Attempting to put as much time as possible on the clock in the closing minutes, Cousins completed 35 of 45 passes for 378 yards and continued to throw.
Despite the Vikings’ constant lead, Cousins completed 45 throws compared to only 19 rushes by the running backs. ** Seifert, Kevin
49ers of San Francisco
The 49ers appeared to be almost unbeatable during the first five weeks of the season. However, two weeks in the NFL are a long time, and the bright prospect of a dominant run can soon give way to the harsh reality of how difficult it is to win in this league on a regular basis.
For the first time since precisely a year ago, the Niners have dropped two straight games after their defeat by the Vikings. And that losing run presents an opportunity to see if the 49ers are genuinely capable of winning a championship.
The Niners will face the Cincinnati Bengals, Jacksonville Jaguars, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Seattle Seahawks, Philadelphia Eagles, and Seattle once more during the course of the next seven weeks. Their chances of winning the championship hinge on how they respond to yet another heartbreaking road loss.
Breakdown of QB: Many were curious about Purdy’s chances of recovering this week after his worst performance as a professional in the Cleveland Browns game last week. The response? For the first three quarters, Purdy looked unfazed, but made two critical errors in the final minutes. With 5:30 remaining, Purdy hurried a pass to Jauan Jennings that Bynum easily intercepted as the Niners drove for a potentially game-winning touchdown. With twenty-five seconds remaining, as the 49ers were trying to drive for the game-winning touchdown once more, he threw another to Bynum at the Minnesota 22.
Although Purdy wasn’t the biggest problem the Niners faced that evening, his interceptions came at an inopportune moment. With the two picks, he went 21 of 30 for 272 yards and one touchdown pass, good for an 81.5 passer rating.
Crucial Play: With 17 seconds remaining in the first half, Minnesota was facing a third-and-6 at its 40, so Niners defensive coordinator Steve Wilks activated a Cover 0 blitz. There were no timeouts for the Vikings, and the half would have probably ended with a tackle in bounds.
However, the blitz failed to reach its target, leaving Ward to cover Addison one-on-one at the 49ers’ 37. Addison pulled away Cousins’ ball and ran for a game-changing, sixty-yard score as Ward almost intercepted it. It was an eyebrow-raising defensive call, not just for the outcome but because it was the first seven-man pass rush in the closing 30 seconds of a half in opposition territory in the NFL since Week 11 of 2020, according to Next Gen Stats. And the Niners paid dearly for it.
Troubling trend: Niners kicker Jake Moody was flawless through the first five games but had his first two misses last week against Cleveland, including a would-be game winner late in the fourth quarter. Those troubles continued over to Monday night, when Moody missed a 40-yard field goal in the first half. To his credit, he subsequently nailed a 55-yard try. But the misses in the 40-yard range are mounting up.
The 49ers invested a third-round choice on Moody with the notion of his managing kicking responsibilities now and far into the future. But this club is in win-now mentality, and it’s fair to ask how patient they can be with Moody before going elsewhere. ** Nick Wagoner
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