The San Francisco 49ers enter Week 2 with a trip to the North Star State and will go head-to-head against the Minnesota Vikings.
Both teams will be looking to win this encounter and improve their record to 2-0, as the 49ers and Vikings won convincingly against the New York Jets and Giants, respectively.
San Francisco 49ers vs. Minnesota Vikings Matchup History
This matchup’s head-to-head record falls slightly in the 49ers’ favor, with San Francisco winning 25 of the 50 matches to the Vikings’ 24 wins. This historic fixture has provided multiple close battles over the years, with one match resulting in a tie in 1966.
The Niners’ last win at the U.S. Bank Stadium was on December 13th, 1992, almost 32-years ago, in a narrow 20-17 win. The affair has seen seven matches since, with the Vikings winning every single one of them.
Key Players for the 49ers
The undrafted Jordan Mason impressed in Week 1 who filled in for Christian McCaffrey, with the 2023 Offensive Player of the Year recovering from injuries. Mason rushed 147 yards throughout the opener and provided the team with a touchdown of his own. If he keeps up this form he will successfully fill the void of McCaffrey, who is expected to miss time.
The 49ers mustered 20 points alone from field goals in their opening fixture thanks to kicker Jake Moody, who is in his sophomore year with the team. After a relatively shaky first year where he had a couple of near misses, he has put fans at ease after completing successful conversions from 53, 51, 46, 42, 31 and 23 yards.
Key Players for the Vikings
Sam Darnold impressed in Week 1 as the 27-year-old threw two touchdowns and had conducted a strong quarterback rating of 113.2, having moved to Minnesota from the Bay Area in the off-season.
Darnold reflected that his year in SF was “huge being able to learn how they do things schematically and just as an organization.” He will be the first choice quarterback following Viking’s 2024 first round draft pick J.J. McCarthy suffering a season ending injury in pre-season.
Without any surprise at all Justin Jefferson makes an appearance on this list, with the 25-year-old wide receiver looking to continue his impressive form from the last two years. His 2024 campaign got off to the best possible start in Week 1 with a touchdown of his own in New York.
San Francisco 49ers – Keys to Victory
Another gear for Purdy
For his standards Brock Purdy probably had one of his worst games in red and gold against the Jets in Week 1, but it was by no means bad. As well as this, his last performances against the Vikings saw him throw two picks which saw the Vikings win by a 22-17 score. Purdy’s ability as quarterback is unquestionable, but he will have to go up a gear and end the 32-year winless drought.
Century regular-season games for Kittle
49ers tight end George Kittle will have additional motivation going into this weekends tie, with the star about to embark on his 100th NFL regular-season game for the 49ers. This accolade puts him in an exclusive list with many legendary figures within the organization, but will be wanting to put on a strong performance for the Faithful considering his now eight-years of service as the number one tight-end for the offence.
Exercising caution on Hufanga’s return
San Francisco safety Talanoa Hufanga is speculated to make a return following a long spell from his anterior cruciate ligament injury which has seen him out since Week 11 of the 2023 season. With the similar thinking for McCaffrey’s injury status for Week 1, the 49ers need to be careful not to rush Hufanga back considering his extended period of time on the sidelines.
The 24-year-old reportedly participated in light training in the lead up to the fixture, but despite it being on a limited basis, it is paramount not to rush him back into the fold.
