4 Stats Behind the Vikings’ Upset Win Over the 49ers
Josh Frey
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The Minnesota Vikings pulled off what many considered to be impossible on Monday night.
After slogging through the first weeks of their schedule to a 2-4 record, Minnesota made a massive statement by upsetting the San Francisco 49ers, 22-17.
It took a full team effort for the Vikings to win this game, but here is a look at 4 stats behind Minnesota’s big victory.
Third Downs
The Minnesota Vikings have struggled on third downs all season long. Against the Chicago Bears in Week 6, they converted just twice on their 13 attempts. That was not the case on Monday night against the 49ers. The Vikings went 8-of-13 on third down this week, and as a result, they were able to dominate the time of possession battle by nearly 10 minutes.
Even more impressively, a number of these conversions came with long distances to gain. San Francisco went into Monday night allowing just a single conversion of 10+ yards. The Vikings had three of them just in this game on four attempts.
Sacks Allowed
One of the bright spots for this Vikings team all season has been the offensive line. Christian Darrisaw and Brian O’Neill have looked like one of the best offensive tackle duos in the league, and the interior o-line has held up great in pass protection as well.
That trend translated to Monday night, and the Vikings allowed no sacks of Kirk Cousins. This performance was against one of the more elite pass-rushes in the NFL, and it came without LG Ezra Cleveland. Instead, Dalton Risner stepped in, and there wasn’t much of a dropoff.
Turnovers
For the second week in a row, the Vikings won the turnover battle, and their takeaways came in key situations. After another opening drive turnover, Minnesota’s defense stepped up in the red zone and forced a Christian McCaffrey fumble which turned the tides.
Meanwhile, Camryn Bynum had the game of his life. Not only did he help force that fumble, but he also intercepted two passes, including the game-sealing INT at the end of the fourth quarter. Bynum has been a revelation at the free safety spot for Minnesota, and the defense as a whole did an outstanding job against this usually efficient 49ers offense.
Penalties
Minnesota has been one of the most disciplined groups in the NFL when it comes to penalties. Meanwhile, the 49ers have been amongst the league’s highest penalized teams. Neither team had too many penalties on Monday with five apiece, but San Francisco’s penalties were far more costly than Minnesota’s.
The Vikings were granted first downs on three of San Francisco’s five penalties, including a couple big calls that came in coverage of WR Jordan Addison. The rookie proved to be uncoverable on Monday against one of the best secondaries in the league, so hopefully, this is a sign of great things to come.
For more on the Vikings big upset victory, take a look at 10 reactions from the immediate aftermath of the game.
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.