The Minnesota Vikings had their Cinderella playoff run come to an end in the Divisional Round of the NFL playoffs when the 49ers dominated the game.
Following a shocking upset over the New Orleans Saints in the Wild Card round of the playoffs, the Minnesota Vikings were put on a collision course with the top seed in the NFC, the San Francisco 49ers.
To make matters more difficult, the purple and gold had to travel to the west coast to play this well-balanced 49ers team that boasts playmakers on every level. The winner would advance to the Conference Championship.
For Minnesota, their hope of being a part of Super Bowl LIV came to an end in California as the 49ers systematically picked apart the Vikings offense and were efficient on offense, handing Minnesota a 27-10 loss.
Let’s take a look at what happened during the game to get that result:
First quarter
The 49ers won the coin toss and deferred, giving the ball to the Minnesota Vikings to start the game. Minnesota couldn’t get their offense going and ended up with a three and out. When the 49ers got the ball, they efficiently chipped away at the Minnesota pass defense, moving the chains until Kendrick Borne caught a touchdown from Jimmy Garoppolo in the back of the end zone for a score. SF leads 0-7
It didn’t take long for the Vikings to respond. using some quick passes to move the chains, Kirk Cousins connected on a nice 41-yard touchdown pass that saw the receiver shift his weight to keep his balance before running into the end zone. Tied 7-7
The Vikings defense was strong after their touchdown, breaking up a big pass and getting pressure on Garoppolo. With the help of a Danielle Hunter sack and a false start penalty, the 49ers were put in a position where they would need to punt the ball away.
Score after 1st quarter: 7-7 tie
Second quarter
The Minnesota Vikings took the punt and got back on offense. Absorbing a quick sack moved them backward and the team couldn’t recover. They punted the ball away and Richie James had a solid return to put San Francisco near midfield.
The 49ers offense went to work, combining a strong run game with more quick, efficient passes. They marched down to the one-yard line where running back Tevin Coleman punched in the score. SF leads 14-7.
Once again, the Vikings in ineffective on offense, wasting a nice kickoff return by Ameer Abdullah. They gave the ball right back to San Francisco and Eric Kendricks immediately got the ball back to Minnesota thanks to a leaping interception, giving the purple and gold some great field position.
Sadly, after getting in the red zone, the offense stalled and Minnesota had to settle for a short field goal with 31 seconds left in the half. SF still leads 14-10
In a somewhat surprising move, the 49ers decided to kneel out the half and go into the locker room with the lead.
Score at the half: SF leads 14-10
Third quarter
A questionable unnecessary roughness penalty on Holton Hill gave the 49ers good field position after the kickoff and moved the ball well, getting into the red zone. Thankfully, the Minnesota Vikings defense tightened up and forced the 49ers to settle for a field goal, which was knocked through by Robbie Gould. SF leads 17-10
Minnesota tried to get back into things, but a Kirk Cousins pass intended for Adam Thielen was intercepted by Richard Sherman. To make the matters worse, offensive tackle Brian O’Neill went down with an injury on the play.
San Francisco powered their way down the field on the ground. They shoved the ball down the Vikings’ throats until Tevin Coleman found the end zone again. At this point, the lead started to feel insurmountable. SF leads 24-10.
A struggling offense couldn’t move the ball again for Minnesota. Their rushing attack couldn’t get going, the offensive line couldn’t block, and the rapport between the quarterback and receivers wasn’t working. Needless to say, the Vikings were once again forced to punt the ball away.
The Vikings defense got a stop, but a Marcus Sherels fumble on the punt gave the ball right back to the 49ers inside the red zone as the quarter came to a close.
Score after three quarters: SF leads 24-10
Fourth quarter
The Minnesota Vikings defense got another red zone stop, forcing another short Gould kick. He converted it, stretching the game to a three-possession lead for San Francisco. SF leads 27-10.
Minnesota’s offense moved backward on their next possession, once again not completing passes or gaining yardage on the ground. They gave the ball right back to San Francisco despite being town three scores.
Their defense did a great job keeping the 49ers in check, forcing them to punt the ball to the purple and gold. Sadly, once again the Vikings couldn’t get anything done. The 49ers got another sack on Kirk Cousins and the purple was forced to give it right back.
After getting the ball back from San Francisco, the Vikings started chipping away at a more relaxed 49ers defense. Cousins connected with several receivers to move the chains but turned the ball over on downs when they couldn’t convert a pass to Diggs.
San Francisco controlled the clock on their drive, eating the clock down to the two-minute warning before a fumble from Matt Brieda gave the ball back to the Vikings at midfield.
The 49ers put in their second-team defense with a few starters still on the field but still sacked quarterback Kirk Cousins and couldn’t pick up the first down to Irv Smith Jr. After a kneel down from San Francisco, the game mercifully came to an end.
Final score: 49ers win 27-10.
Now, the Minnesota Vikings will take some time off before preparing for the 2020 NFL season when they hope to improve upon their performance in this year’s postseason and forget this frustrating performance against the 49ers.