5 Bold Predictions: Vikings vs. 49ers – NFC Divisional Round
By Chris Schad
Garoppolo will shred the Vikings secondary (if they can’t pressure)
The Vikings defense has predicated itself off two things this season. First, they look to stop the big play in the air by keeping Harrison Smith and Anthony Harris deep. Second, they rely on their ability to tackle, which was graded as the top defense in the NFL by Pro Football Focus, to stop plays soon after the catch.
Both of these principles will be tested on Saturday as the 49ers rely on a quick-strike offense that ranks second in the league in yards after the catch. While the Vikings will willingly give up the short passes, it will be imperative for the Vikings linebackers to stop George Kittle, Emmanuel Sanders, and Deebo Samuel if they want a chance to win this game.
Of course, another option would be to pressure Jimmy Garoppolo into submission. After the 2018 meeting between the two teams, Danielle Hunter said that Garoppolo “gets scared” with pressure. In that game, the Vikings tortured the 49ers QB into one of the worst lines of his career completing 15-of-33 passes for 261 yards, a touchdown, and three interceptions.
To his credit, Garoppolo has improved after coming back from a torn ACL that ended his 2018 season, ranking 14th among 39 quarterbacks with a 74.2 passer rating under pressure. Those numbers got better against the blitz, completing over 66 percent of his passes and throwing 10 touchdowns and seven interceptions.
Much like the Vikings, the 49ers have done a solid job protecting the quarterback and actually will have the edge with no member of the San Francisco offensive line allowing more than six quarterback pressures this season. That will make it imperative for head coach Mike Zimmer to get creative (like he did moving Danielle Hunter and Everson Griffen to the inside last week) in order to make Garoppolo sweat it out.