Matchups to Watch in Week 2: Two Geniuses against Each Other
Vibes are pretty high in Minnesota right now. After dominating against the Giants in Week 1, the Vikings will host the 49ers on Sunday. It will probably be the team’s toughest challenge in the season. Have a good game and keep the score close, and even with a loss, this squad will show they can compete. Get embarrassed in the home opener, and everyone will say that the first game was a fluke.
I would say that the matchup choices were pretty accurate last week. Malik Nabers had a solid debut, catching five passes for 66 yards, but the defense prevented him from being much of a factor in the game. The Giants’ defensive line was almost a factor in the Meadowlands, though.
Brian Burns and Kayvon Thibodeaux didn’t do much, thanks to an excellent display from Christian Darrisaw and Brian O’Neill. Dexter Lawrence did, in fact, quite a lot. With six pressures, a sack, and a hit on a Sam Darnold throw that resulted in an interception, he did everything he could to help his team; luckily, it wasn’t enough.
If you didn’t read last week’s article, this will be a weekly attempt to try and pick crucial matchups in the game. Last week, it was holding down Malik Nabers and blocking the trio of Burns, Lawrence, and Thibodeaux. I tried to escape from the obvious this week, but sometimes it’s impossible.
This week, we have Brian Flores’ defense against Kyle Shanahan’s offense. Grab your popcorn, folks, this will be big.
A couple of other matchups
As we will focus a lot on the matchup off the field, I wanted to mention some important ones happening on the field as well.
Christian Darrisaw vs. Nick Bosa
Last year, the Vikings’ offensive line allowed zero sacks to the 49ers, which played a huge part in the team getting the upset win. Darrisaw against Bosa is strength on strength, and if the Vikings are planning on shocking the world again, Darrisaw will have to lock Bosa up one more time.
Justin Jefferson vs. 49ers secondary
Justin Jefferson was absent from this game in 2023, being put on IR after a hamstring injury. T.J. Hockenson and Jordan Addison stepped up with big stat lines (11 rec and 86 yards, seven rec, 123 yards, and two TDs, respectively). Now, the tables are turned, with Jefferson playing and the other two watching from the sidelines. Last week, the 49ers didn’t double-team Jets WR Garrett Wilson much. If they do the same with JJ, then Sam Darnold will have to test CBs Charvarius Ward and Deommodore Lenoir.
Front seven vs. 49ers run game
The 2023 San Francisco 49ers had one game with under 100 rushing yards. Who held them to this number? The Minnesota Vikings, holding Christian McCaffrey and the 49ers to just 65 rushing yards and 2.9 yards per carry. Last week against the Jets, and without McCaffrey, Jordan Mason had 28 carries, 147 yards, and a TD. Kyle Shanahan has arguably the best running game in the NFL, and stopping Mason like they stopped McCaffrey last year is critical.
Flores and Shanahan
For the football nerds out there, this is a mini Super Bowl. Two of the best play-callers in the NFL are going against each other, which isn’t common. Watching this is like watching the prime years of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi’s games. You never know exactly what to expect, but every time is special.
Last season, Flores got the better of this matchup, but it’s important to mention that Shanahan was without his own version of Josh Metellus ‒ WR Deebo Samuel ‒ and LT Trent Williams. The Vikings exploited these absences, pressuring Brock Purdy ten times and forcing the 49ers to be as one-dimensional as possible. This last part was achieved by doing something that Brian Flores is famous for ‒ loading the box.
Alec Lewis from The Athletic talked about this in a better way, but I’ll try to summarize it here. On first downs, Brian Flores put his three big men on the field, using a five-man front with D.J. Wonnum, Jonathan Bullard, Harrison Phillips, Dean Lowry, and Danielle Hunter. Harrison Smith would also drop to the line of scrimmage, making it six players on the line. They did that to occupy as much space as possible up front, giving linebackers Jordan Hicks and Ivan Pace fewer gaps to fill. CB Akayleb Evans also played a huge part in stopping the run.
Four of those players are off the team now, and Evans is a backup. Wonnum and Hunter were replaced by Andrew Van Ginkel, Jonathan Greenard, and Dallas Turner. Blake Cashman is in for Jordan Hicks, and Stephon Gilmore and Shaq Griffin were signed to solidify the CB room.
Deebo Samuel playing is something that will change the defensive game plan from last year. As I said, he is their version of Josh Metellus ‒ he will align out wide, in the slot, in the backfield, run up the middle, take a jet sweep to the outside, catch a screen pass, run a deep route. Kyle Shanahan will put him on a football field to do everything possible.
Flores and Shanahan are also masters in adjusting to their own tendencies. Harrison Phillips said in a recent interview that the most difficult part about playing against the 49ers is that they don’t have a tendency. They will run or pass from every personnel and formation. This is the same feeling that offenses have when playing against the man who called the most blitzes and three-man rushes in the same season.
Hopefully, Brian Flores can get the better of Kyle Shanahan one more time.
Final prediction: 49ers 21, at Minnesota Vikings, 24
