Vikings vs. 49ers | Key Personnel Battles
Are the Vikings good, or are the Giants just bad? I’ve seen that question pop up numerous times this week. Minnesota has the chance to answer that question this week as they go up against one of the league’s best. The San Francisco 49ers head to US Bank Stadium and will provide Minnesota with a stern test that will better indicate where this Vikings team is right now.
Vikings vs. 49ers | Key Personnel Battles
Last week, against the Giants, the Vikings mostly came out on top of the key personnel battles I picked out before the game. This week, I’m picking out five more key battles that will go a long way toward shaping the outcome of this Vikings vs. 49ers match.
Sam Darnold vs. Brock Purdy
The QBs won’t go head-to-head on the field but will always be compared — even more so this week as Sam Darnold left the 49ers to join the Vikings this offseason. It was a move that took him from being Brock Purdy’s backup to Minesota’s starter for this season. The injury to JJ McCarthy means Darnold knows he has the job for the full season — barring injury or terrible play. Having looked assured and accurate on his Vikings debut, I’m eagerly anticipating how he will follow that up in his first game in front of the Vikings’ home crowd.
Purdy’s rise from seventh-round draft pick to the starter of a top team so quickly is a rare tale in the modern NFL. His stat line in the win against the New York Jets of 19 of 29 for 231 yards and 0 touchdowns wasn’t flashy, but it was enough to beat a good Jets team. Purdy has the knack of delivering when he needs to, and with the 49ers’ strong run game and defense, that’s all he needs to do. Darnold and Purdy are in a similar position. Not a superstar QB, but in the ideal environment to thrive to the best of their ability.
Jonathan Greenard vs. Trent Williams
Jonathan Greenard’s debut might not be as great on the stat sheet, but he looked like the explosive edge rusher the Vikings were hoping for on his way to six QB pressures. It didn’t result in sacks against the Giants, but they will come, and there will be many of them. If they are to come this week, it will be against a strong 49ers OL led by Trent Williams. San Francisco’s left tackle has been one of, if not the premier LT for over a decade. Brian Flores will move his defensive pieces around, but getting some give out of Williams will be necessary, and Greenard is the best bet the Vikings have in that regard.
Byron Murphy/Josh Metellus vs. Jauan Jennings
Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk are the big names at WR for the 49ers, but Jauan Jennings led the team against the Jets with 5 catches for 64 yards. San Francisco leaned on their run game, but Jennings made some big plays when working from the slot. The Vikings split the slot CB role between Byron Murphy and Josh Metellus in Week 1.
Both are good in that position and should be capable of keeping Jennings quiet between them. It will be essential to keep the bigger names quiet, too, but it’s no good doing that and getting beaten by the forgotten man in the slot like the Jets were on Monday night.
Justin Jefferson vs. Charvarius Ward
It was a quiet day for Justin Jefferson in Week 1 by his own lofty standards. He made just four catches from six targets for 59 yards and a touchdown. Jefferson did most of his work on the 99-yard touchdown drive that saw the Vikings take a commanding lead that they would never relinquish. He also showed his value as a decoy by getting the Giants defense to bite on a fake screen pass, which resulted in Darnold throwing downfield to Jalen Nailor for the Vikings’ third touchdown.
Whenever a team plays Minnesota, the big question is how to stop/limit Jefferson’s impact. The 49ers have one of the best man-coverage corners in the league, Charvarius Ward. Do they trust Ward to try to corral Jefferson one-on-one? With T.J. Hockenson and possibly Jordan Addison missing for the Vikings, there’s more scope to give Jefferson extra attention. Either way, the battle between Jefferson and Ward on routes should be fun.
Aaron Jones vs. Jordan Mason
The 49ers offense is built off the run game where they employ arguably the best RB in the league, Christian McCaffrey. Jordan Mason had to carry the load in Week 1, and he did so wonderfully. Mason rushed for 147 yards and a touchdown and added a five-yard catch for a first down on his sole target in the passing game for good measure. With McCaffrey ruled out of this Sunday’s game against the Vikings, it will be down to Mason once again to do the heavy lifting. Can he back up last week’s massive game with another one?
Kevin O’Connell’s offense was pass-heavy in his first two seasons. Talk of marrying the run and the pass last season never materialized as the Vikings’ run game floundered. Aaron Jones was signed to be the catalyst of the Vikings’ run game, along with better blocking.
The signs in Week 1 were good as Jones got the team’s first touchdown of the season on a short run at the goal line – something Minnesota has struggled with in recent years. Jones finished with 94 yards from 14 carries and caught both targets in the passing game for 15 yards. Success on the ground will go a long way towards deciding who wins this game.
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