4 reasons why the Vikings will beat the 49ers in the playoffs
By Adam Patrick
Jimmy cracks under pressure
In his first full season as a starting quarterback in the NFL, all Jimmy Garoppolo was able to do was help lead the 49ers to 13 wins and the top seed in the NFC. Not too bad.
If the Vikings are going to have any shot at getting a victory on Saturday, they are going to have to bring the pressure and throw Garoppolo off of his game.
During the regular season, the San Francisco signal-caller finished with a 102.0 quarterback rating. However, on the pass attempts in which he faced pressure from the opposing defense, Garoppolo’s rating dropped to 74.2.
In each of the 49ers’ three losses in 2019, Garoppolo was pressured at least seven times. Last week against the Saints, Minnesota finished with a total of nine quarterback pressures and three sacks.
In their Week 1 win over San Francisco last season, the Vikings were able to pressure Garoppolo 13 times and it resulted in him tossing a trio of interceptions.
Minnesota was able to fluster Drew Brees last week with their dynamic pass-rushing combo of Danielle Hunter and Everson Griffen. Is a similar fate in store for Garoppolo on Saturday?