Minnesota Vikings vs 49ers: Containing Colin Kaepernick

Earlier this week, I wrote about my 5 keys to success for the Minnesota Vikings when the face off against the San Francisco 49ers on Monday Night Football. However, there is one major thing I may have overlooked: quarterback Colin Kaepernick.

September 3, 2015; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick (7) passes the football before a preseason game against the San Diego Chargers at Levi

While there isn’t a lot of hype about Kaepernick around the NFL, he has two qualities that can make life very hard for opposing defenses. His arm is an absolute cannon and he can make big plays with his legs when he’s not accounted for. For those two reasons, the dynamic passer could be a much bigger problem for the Minnesota Vikings than many folks expect.

In a recent interview on 1500ESPN’s website, Minnesota Vikings cornerback Captain Munnerlyn spoke about the challenge that facing off against Kaepernick can bring.

"“He’s a dangerous threat, man,” Munnerlyn said. “He can scramble and he can get the ball out pretty fast. He’s got a pretty good arm, people don’t know he can throw the ball a mile. You have to stay in coverage, keep guarding your guy and plaster to your receiver.”"

Defensive coordinator George Edwards also knows that going up against Colin Kaepernick isn’t a walk in the park. He even used the word “elite” when describing one particular part of his game.

"“He’s probably one of the elite guys as far as moving around in the pocket,” Edwards said. “Being able to keep the play alive. He’s made a lot of plays, like in the preseason and last year, with his feet, especially in the third down areas and those kind of things.”"

In the last 3 years, Colin Kaepernick has scored 10 rushing touchdowns. In addition to that, his rushing yards per season have increased each year he has been in the NFL, as he ended the 2014 campaign with 639 yards on the ground, second among quarterbacks to only Russell Wilson of the Seattle Seahawks.

The Minnesota Vikings will have to play disciplined football against Kaepernick in order to try to minimize the damage he can do. You can watch this matchup during the second game of tomorrow’s double-header on Monday Night Football.

Next: Minnesota Vikings 2015 Game-By-Game Previews

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