The Minnesota Vikings had a great start to the season by defeating the New York Giants 28-6 in Week 1. But they’ll have a much tougher task against the San Francisco 49ers in Week 2.
Sunday’s game, which is the home opener at U.S. Bank Stadium, will be a rematch of one of Minnesota’s most memorable games of the 2023 season when they defeated the 49ers 22-17 last October. But this year’s game will be different on both sides of the ball.
Sam Darnold has replaced Kirk Cousins, and Jordan Addison, who caught seven passes for 123 yards and two touchdowns, will miss Sunday’s game due to an ankle injury. The 49ers also have plenty of new faces on the defensive side of the ball that dominated in San Francisco’s 32-19 win over the New York Jets last Monday.
It leaves two teams looking to improve to 2-0 on Sunday afternoon, and here are three bold predictions for when the Vikings clash with the 49ers.
Minnesota Vikings Predictions for Week 2 vs. the San Francisco 49ers
1. The Vikings will be held under 100 yards rushing
After two years of being MIA under Kevin O’Connell, Minnesota’s ground game returned with a vengeance, racking up 111 rushing yards in Week 1. Aaron Jones was a big reason for the Vikings’ revival, logging 94 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries, but this week’s matchup is tougher going against the 49ers' revamped front seven.
San Francisco ranked third in rushing yards allowed last season, averaging 89.7 yards per game, but they went into the offseason hell-bent on improving that number after allowing 149.3 yards per game during the playoffs.
Defensive coordinator Steve Wilkes was fired after the Super Bowl, and the 49ers let Arik Armstead, Javon Kinlaw, and others leave in free agency, replacing them with Maliek Collins, Jordan Elliott, and Leonard Floyd.
The overhaul paid dividends in Week 1 as San Francisco held the Jets to 68 yards – the second-lowest total in the league behind the New Orleans Saints (58 yards vs. Carolina).
While the Vikings won’t test the 49ers with volume, they will look to do so with efficiency. Aaron Jones was second among all qualifying rushers with a 78.6 percent success rate – which measures the number of times a rusher gains 40 percent of yards needed on first down, 60 percent of yards needed on second down, and 100 percent on third or fourth down – and the efficiency opened things up for O’Connell to open up the playbook to assist Darnold.
If Jones can run the ball efficiently, it will go a long way to help the Vikings win on Sunday. But after the 49ers’ Week 1 performance, San Francisco’s renovated running defense could give them an advantage on the road.
2. Eight different Vikings will record a reception
The Vikings have a big hole in their passing game after Addison injured his ankle in the second quarter of Sunday’s win over the Giants.
A key part in last year’s win over the 49ers, Addison caught 70 passes for 911 yards and 10 touchdowns in his rookie year and caught three passes for 35 yards before leaving Sunday’s game. If Addison can’t play on Sunday, the Vikings will have to find another way to draw attention away from Justin Jefferson, but it may not be one person who steps up in Addison’s absence.
Seven other Vikings caught a pass in Week 1 and a lot of the damage happened after Addison left. Josh Oliver (two catches, 27 yards) and Johnny Mundt (two catches, 15 yards) already stepped into the void of an injured T.J. Hockenson, but the Vikings used Jalen Nailor for a 21-yard touchdown reception in the third quarter and utilized Jones (two catches, 15 yards) and Ty Chandler (three catches, 25 yards) out of the backfield to keep the chains moving.
Nailor’s production could rise from stepping into Addison’s role, but it could also mean an opportunity for Trishton Jackson, who starred during training camp, or Trent Sherrfield Jr. and Brandon Powell, who were on the roster but didn’t make a reception in Week 1.
Either way, a lot of Vikings will be getting their hands on the ball come Sunday.
3. The 49ers will open up the passing game
The 49ers are stacked in the passing game with tight end George Kittle and wide receivers Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk. While Brock Purdy has been able to get the ball to these weapons, Monday was a role reversal as the 49ers used Jordan Mason to run over the Jets' defense.
Part of the decision to ground-and-pound was game-oriented. The Jets’ secondary, led by Sauce Gardner, is the strength of their defense, and the 49ers decided to pound away at their front seven.
There’s also the fact the 49ers were without many of their stars for a majority of the summer as Brandon Aiyuk and Trent Williams had contract issues, and Christian McCaffrey has been dealing with ankle and Achilles’ injuries that kept him out of Monday’s game.
It didn’t seem to matter as Mason logged a 53.6 percent success rate, but the Vikings were a tougher test for Devin Singletary, who logged a 40 percent success rate against Minnesota. If the Vikings can slow down the 49ers rushing attack, it could force Purdy to open things up.
In an ideal world, keeping Samuel, Kittle, and Aiyuk quiet might not be a bad thing. But Purdy has shown he can get the ball to those weapons in less-than-ideal situations. It could make Purdy the determining factor in Sunday’s game and lead the 49ers to a narrow victory in Minnesota.