The San Francisco 49ers were impressive on Monday night, dominating the New York Jets. But that doesn't mean they are satisfied. In the NFL, you can't celebrate long, because as soon as one game is complete, preparation for the next must begin. Star edge rusher Nick Bosa certainly knows that, saying earlier this week, "We're not patting ourselves on the back. It's one game and we don't know how good we are yet, and we don't know how good other teams are, so we just have to keep getting better."
While many in the media leading up to week one had the Jets being a potential Super Bowl team, and beating the 49ers, the Minnesota Vikings should present a stiffer challenge to the defending NFC Champions. "This week, I think we're playing, honestly, a better team," Bosa said. "They're playing better football, it looks like, and they run the ball well, and we're gonna have to be better in our techniques. We kind of got away with some things [on Monday]. So, yeah, we have to hone in and not pat ourselves on the back."
The Vikings offense will be a tough test for the 49ers defense. With QB Sam Darnold, WR Justin Jefferson, and RB Aaron Jones, the Vikings offense has plenty of firepower. But the Minnesota defense will be a challenge for QB Brock Purdy and the 49ers offense, as well, especially with the team placing Christian McCaffrey, the reigning NFL Offensive Player of the Year, on injured reserve.
On Friday, Greg Papa sat down with 49ers Head Coach Kyle Shanahan on NBC Sports Bay Area's "49ers Game Plan" to discuss the upcoming game against the Minnesota Vikings. Papa asked Shanahan about running the ball against the Vikings' tough defense, which often lines up with six-man fronts, despite running a 3-4 defense. "They're a real hard team, we knew that going into that game (in 2023)," Shanahan said. "It was hard during that game and just watching them the rest of the year that we've been doing on tape, they were the number one run defense in the league and it looks like that on tape. It wasn't like they got lucky doing that, you know, schematically, Flo [Defensive Coordinator Brian Flores] does a great job. Any team who has six on the line that much, you know, and all-out blitzes that much, I mean 80% of the time, they're blitzing which is way more than anybody in this league."
Facing a defense that blitzes as much as the Vikings is a challenge for any offense. But the 49ers are dealing with an injury to left guard Aaron Banks, as well as starting a rookie at right guard in Dominic Puni. So far, Puni has been dominant and looks like he belongs in the NFL.
But with McCaffrey out, that means backup running back Jordan Mason will be carrying the load, not only in the running game but also in pass protection. It will be up to Mason, TE George Kittle, and the offensive line to keep Purdy upright. And if they can do so, the 49ers have a chance to make some big plays on offense.
"And usually when you do that there's a lot of, it's feast or famine," Shanahan added. "You can get through there, not a lot, but when you do get through there, you get 60 and you can get a big one, and this team gives up the least amount of explosives in the run game also. So that's a very weird combination and it's that they're so sound in what they do and they have so many people behind those six play with vision, not as much man coverage and zero type looks, but they play with so much vision that even when you do get through there they kind of swarm, the three guys or four guys remaining, and they're really hard to get through there...I've never seen a team that has so few 12-plus runs and it's hard to stick with it, for good reasons.
"It's a team that there are a little bit more holes in the pass game, but anytime that you make a living throwing that much, it's hard not to turn it over and that's why they've done a good job to teams. Last year, when we played them, we didn't run the ball well and they controlled the clock very well. But it was a game we only had one punt in. We had one punt in the game, we had two interceptions and one fumble and that's kind of what they build off of. They're sound. They're going to try to force you to throw a little bit more, but they get their turnovers if you're not on it and they challenge your protections and that's why he's done a hell of a job and their players have been good with him."
The 49ers square off with the Vikings at noon (central time) on Sunday. They will try to snap the 32-year winless drought in Minnesota.
Watch the full interview:
