10 Reactions to the Vikings’ Huge Win over the 49ers
Josh Frey
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The Minnesota Vikings and San Francisco 49ers closed out Week 7 with a Monday Night Football showdown inside U.S. Bank Stadium.
The Vikings went into the game as heavy underdogs following their 2-4 start to the season. Many expected the 49ers to come in fired up after their Week 6 loss against the Cleveland Browns. Instead, the Vikings made the biggest statement of their season by pulling off a huge upset victory by a 22-17 score.
Here are 10 reactions in the aftermath of the victory.
1. Jordan Addison Is a Star
The Vikings finally decided to unleash Jordan Addison on Monday, and they picked the perfect night for it. With Justin Jefferson out, the rookie needed to step up, and he did in a huge way by catching 7 passes for 123 yards and a pair of TDs. He now has 6 TD catches in his first 7 career NFL games.
2. An Incredible Defensive Effort
The Vikings offense was dialed in on Monday, but man, what an effort from the defense. The 49ers have consistently been one of the more consistent offenses in the league over the past couple years, and Minnesota limited them to 17 points and forced three turnovers. It doesn’t get much better than that.
3. A Dialed-In Kirko
Everyone wanted to talk about Cousins’ 2-10 record on Monday nights coming into this game, but Kirko Chainz made it seem like this was a Sunday noon kickoff. The Vikings QB completed 35 of his 45 passes for 378 yards and a pair of touchdowns while converting some critical third downs. The 49ers came into this game allowing 197.8 passing yards per game, and Cousins nearly doubled that.
4. Camryn Bynum’s Career Game
One of the great storylines from this season so far has been the emergence of Camryn Bynum at safety. He went from being one of the worst coverage safeties in the league last season to being a force this year. That has never been more apparent than Monday night. He had 9 tackles and a pair of interceptions, including the game-sealing play.
5. 0 Sacks Allowed
Minnesota’s offensive line has been under a ton of scrutiny for years, and though this year has certainly been better, questions remained coming into Monday night. The group answered in a huge way against this 49ers defensive front, holding San Francisco to 0 sacks. That’s a great game from the boys in the trenches.
6. The Greg Joseph Experience
Of course, this game couldn’t end without some unneeded stress. The Vikings could have captured their second two-possession win in the Kevin O’Connell era had Greg Joseph made all his kicks, but he missed an extra point at the end of the first half and another 50-yard field goal down the stretch. It didn’t matter this time, though.
7. Red Zone Offense Is Still an Issue
The Vikings had two red zone possessions in this game, and both of them ended in field goals. That simply needs to get better if this team has true hopes of a playoff run. Coming into this week, they were a below-average squad in red zone TD percentage. That ranking only falls lower after this game.
8. The McCaffrey Fumble
When Kirk Cousins threw an interception on the Vikings opening drive, it felt like we were going down the same old rabbit hole that the 2023 iteration of this team continuously has gone down. Instead, Minnesota’s defense responded by forcing a turnover of their own, completely turning the tides back in their favor.
9. Still Need More Touches from the Reserve RBs
Not to get too negative in this recap, but I again come away from this game wanting more touches for the reserve RBs, particularly in the passing game. Cam Akers and Ty Chandler combined for 4 targets which resulted in 3 catches for 42 yards. The duo has been explosive all year, and there is a role for them in this offense.
10. The Vikings Are Back in the Playoff Hunt
With this win, the Minnesota Vikings are officially back in the playoff hunt. They move into second in the NFC North, and with losses from teams like the Lions and Buccaneers this past weekend, Minnesota is slowly creeping their way back into the NFC race. If they hold pat with Detroit over the next 9 weeks, there is a high likelihood that Week 18 at Ford Field will decide the NFC North division.
Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho and managing editor of PurplePTSD.com. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys running, gaming, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. Check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.