September 14, 2015; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers running back
Carlos Hyde(28) takes the handoff from quarterback Colin Kaepernick (7) against the Minnesota Vikings during the first quarter at Levi
The Bad
- This is seriously the sloppiest game of football I’ve ever seen. That includes every preseason game as well. There was one point during the second quarter where I was wondering why I was watching this mess. Miscues, penalties, and all around awful play plagued this game. Is it something in San Francisco’s water?
- Vikings run defense got gashed. Early in the game, Minnesota could stop nothing on the ground. Carlos Hyde and Reggie Bush ran all over the Minnesota Vikings and there was no answer. In fact, the first drive looked like a pro team playing against a college defense.
- Blair Walsh continues his struggle. This seems to be a regular thing in the “Bad” section of my reviews. Leaving points on the field is something that this team just can’t accept. The sad thing is that the team is locked into having him as their kicker since they signed a big deal this offseason.
- Horrific offensive line play. A disgusting display of effort by the offensive line got a big exclamation mark when T.J. Clemmings was beat on a play and then gave up, only to get in Bridgewater’s way when trying to escape from pressure that was now all around him. Sick.
- Bridgewater’s hail mary try. In what reminded me of Christian Ponder‘s hail mary try, the pass bounced well before the goal line to a spot where there was absolutely not wide receiver. It was brutal to watch and made absolutely no sense. He’s got a stronger arm than that…we saw it earlier on the attempt to Mike Wallace.
- The Minnesota Vikings defensive line got pushed around. Literally. Watching the Vikings trying to penetrate the 49ers offensive line or protect Bridgewater was difficult. If the game is won in the trenches, then this explains why the Vikings were absolutely pummeled this game.
- ONE third down conversion. That’s right. When it came time to move the sticks, the Minnesota Vikings were able to successfully run a play to pick up the first down once. This is a team with Adrian Peterson, a promising young quarterback, and a solid group of pass catchers. NOT ACCEPTABLE!
Next: The Confusing