Sep 15, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; The Minnesota Vikings react after an interception by safety Josh Metellus (obscured in center) against the San Francisco 49ers during the third quarter U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images.
Beating the struggling Giants was nice but somewhat expected, even on the road in the season opener. Knocking off the defending NFC champion 49ers on Sunday as significant home underdogs was a different story.
It was a loud statement to the other teams in the league and the league office and networks that gave the Vikings only two prime-time games this season (far less than their NFC North rivals) that the team is a playoff contender and potentially a division title contender.
The loud home crowd on Sunday created a great atmosphere, disrupting the 49ers’ offense. Kevin O’Connell saluted the “phenomenal” crowd and the great energy in the stadium.
Sam Darnold continues to impress with two excellent games to begin the season. Heading into Week 3 against similarly undefeated Houston at U.S. Bank Stadium this Sunday, Darnold ranks fifth in passer rating (111.8). He just outplayed last year’s league passer rating leader—his 2023 teammate Brock Purdy.
More importantly, Darnold and his team are 2-0 and atop the NFC North. His offensive line and skill position players—all the way down to the third and fourth wide receivers—were impressive against a strong and physical San Francisco defense.
Brian Flores’ defense has more quality players and depth than last year when it was the 16th-ranked defense. The D is forcing turnovers (four in two weeks) and making clutch stops while allowing only 23 points over the first two games. Purdy was clearly rattled by the pressure, which produced six sacks and seven quarterback hits while forcing an interception and a lost fumble by the Pro Bowl quarterback.
Kevin O’Connell was right when he said postgame, “I told our team last night, ‘I think we’re a really good football team.’ Others may be talking about us in terms of potential. You can tell a lot of jokes about potential versus reality, I know that. But this football team is no joke.”
Here are my other reactions to the big win over the Niners:
1. All areas of the team contributed to the victory. The offense had 403 total yards with good run-pass balance for the second straight game—146 yards rushing (an outstanding 6.1 yards per carry) and 257 yards passing on Sunday against a solid defense that has been top 10 for several years. The defense had two fourth-down stops, forced two turnovers, and allowed only 17 points to the high-powered 49ers offense. And the special teams contributed a blocked punt by C.J. Ham, another perfect day from rookie kicker Will Reichard (3 for 3 on field goals and 2 for 2 on extra points) and solid kick coverage.
2. You have to be happy for Darnold who is experiencing a career rebirth in Minnesota as he works with O’Connell and his staff and the best supporting cast he’s ever had as the regular starter during his seven-year career. He’s a great team player and leader which is obvious from his teammates’ comments.
He seems so down to earth and is calm and poised in big moments, such as the final drive in the fourth quarter, during which he converted three third downs with excellent throws, including the most impressive 26-yard back shoulder pass to Jalen Nailor on 3rd-and-8 with 7:41 left and the Vikings clinging to a six-point lead. That drive took 6:46 off the clock, forced the 49ers to burn their final timeouts, and led to a Reichard field goal and a nine-point lead.
Darnold also showed good resilience on the eight-play, 49-yard drive after his second-quarter interception, which led to a field goal and a 13-7 halftime lead.
3. Darnold’s 97-yard TD pass to Justin Jefferson in the second quarter was a tremendous throw (O’Connell called it as pretty a pass as he’s seen). Jefferson’s ability to beat double coverage, catch the ball, and cut back cross-field to the end zone was so exciting to see on his career-long reception.
It was a gutsy call by O’Connell when Darnold threw out of his end zone, but the pass protection was excellent, especially Brian O’Neill’s handling of the dangerous Nick Bosa on the play. This play also showed the trust O’Connell has in Darnold to make this play work, which he did to perfection.
4. The game could’ve been a blowout if Aaron Jones hadn’t fumbled on the 49er two-yard line late in the third quarter. It was a terrific strip on a hard tackle by the league’s best linebacker—Fred Warner (who also made a great second-quarter interception on Darnold’s only bad play). Jones had gained 18 yards on the screen pass when he was hit, so he knows that he has to protect the ball in that situation where it would be first-and-goal from the 2 if he held onto the ball.
If Jones had scored, the Vikings would’ve led 27-7. Instead, the 49ers drove 99 yards to pull within 20-14.
5. Backups step up on offense: With Jefferson and Jordan Addison out on the last drive, Brandon Powell again showed his value with two third-down catches for first downs. Nailor is a virtual starter as the third receiver, but he had a big game that included a 10-yard TD catch off great play-action. Ty Chandler looked great running with speed and power for 82 yards on 10 carries. He and Jones are more 1a and 1b. Jones contributed 32 rushing yards and five catches for 36 yards.
6. The Vikings O-line is playoff-worthy: the tackles—O’Neill and Darrisaw—played well against tough edge rushers in Bosa and Leonard Floyd after handling the Giants’ excellent edge rushers in the opener (there’s no break for them as this week they take on Danielle Hunter and Will Anderson, a terrific duo for the Texans). Their excellence as bookend tackles reminds me of our late 90s Vikings team having a terrific pair of tackles in Todd Steussie and Korey Stringer.
Blake Brandel is playing well at left guard in his first year, starting as a bigger guy to help with run blocking. He needs to avoid false starts. Garrett Bradbury had a very good game against the Niners, and Ed Ingram still can be inconsistent, but he seems to be improving in his third season at right guard.
7. Gotta love this defense: so many great additions in free agency that GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and his staff deserve credit for identifying and signing while the coaching staff is putting them in position to make plays. This includes inside backer and Minnesota-native Blake Cashman, who had a terrific game on Sunday with 13 tackles, including a fourth-down stop on a Brock Purdy run, a sack, and a pass deflection that led to Josh Metellus’ interception.
It was another excellent performance by edge Andrew Van Ginkel, who had the tipped ball on the fourth-down stop in the second quarter, plus a sack, and generally was around the ball. Jonathan Greenard had a sack, a QB hit, and two tackles in a tough matchup with All-Pro LT Trent Williams. Dallas Turner also had two tackles and continues to improve.
Stephon Gilmore is such a quality, savvy corner and a huge upgrade over the young corners who manned the position last season.
2021 third-rounder Pat Jones is in his fourth season, but he has developed into a significant force up front. His four sacks in two games rank second in the league behind Aidan Hutchinson’s 5.5 sacks.
The Vikings D bent with 399 yards allowed but didn’t break with the two fourth-down stops and only 17 points allowed to one of the league’s best offensive teams. The Vikings lead the NFC in the most important category–fewest points allowed with 23 and rank third in the league.
8. Another key stat from the game—the Vikings converted 7 of 12 third downs while the defense held the 49ers to 2 of 10 on third down and 1 of 3 on fourth down.
9. O’Connell will continue to emphasize reducing penalties after the Vikings had seven for 53 yards (following the Giants game with seven penalties for 63 yards).
Around the NFL in Week 2 & a look ahead to Week 3:
1. In the NFC North, the Buccaneers upset the Lions at home. Detroit’s talented offense was shut out in the fourth quarter of a four-point loss, and Jared Goff continued his shaky start to the season with two interceptions (his passer rating is 69.6 through two weeks after a 97.9 rating last season that led to a $53 million per year extension).
In their 16-10 home opener win over the Colts, the Packers rushed for 261 yards (151 by Josh Jacobs) to make it easier for new QB Malik Willis (who threw only 14 passes, completing 12 for 122 yards with one TD and no turnovers in place of the injured Jordan Love). The Green Bay D had three picks of Anthony Richardson.
Caleb Williams struggled for the second straight game, throwing two interceptions, being sacked seven times, and having only 174 passing yards in Chicago’s 19-13 Sunday night loss at Houston. The Bears’ offensive line must improve, and Williams has to get rid of the ball quicker, or it’s going to be another losing season for the Bears despite their quality defense. Williams threw for only 93 yards in the opener when Chicago won over Tennessee with a blocked punt return for a TD and a Pick 6.
2. In other interesting games, the Chiefs needed a pass interference call on 4th-and-16 to set up the game-winning field goal in their 26-25 home win over the Bengals. Like Kansas City, Pittsburgh is 2-0, as their dominant defense led the way to a 13-6 win in Denver. Justin Fields is solidifying his starter role with Russell Wilson hurt.
Arizona is a surprising early-season team. After playing the Bills close in an opening-day loss in Buffalo, the Cardinals walloped the Rams 41-10. Kyler Murray threw three touchdown passes, two to Marvin Harrison Jr.
New Orleans followed up an opener when they scored 47 on Carolina with a statement win of their own in Dallas. The Saints walloped the Cowboys 44-19 with a resurgent Alvin Kamara scoring four TDs (three rushing and one receiving). Mike Zimmer’s Dallas D allowed touchdowns on the Saints’ first six drives.
3. There are only two games in Week 3 between unbeaten teams—Texans at Vikings and Chargers at Steelers.
Other games involving NFC North teams are Detroit in a tougher than expected game at Arizona, Green Bay at Tennessee and Chicago at Indianapolis.
Atlanta and Kirk Cousins are coming off their exciting Monday night win in Philly. On a short week, they will have a tough task when they host Kansas City in the Sunday night game.
I’ll return on Friday with my Vikings-Texans preview and prediction as Danielle Hunter and Stefon Diggs return to Minnesota. I’ll also make my picks on other key games around the NFL.
Jeff Diamond is a former Vikings GM, former Tennessee Titans President and was selected NFL Executive of the Year after the Vikings’ 15-1 season in 1998. He now works for the NFL agent group IFA based in Minneapolis and does other sports consulting and media work along with college/corporate speaking. Follow him and direct message him on Twitter– @jeffdiamondnfl