The Minnesota Vikings followed up their impressive win on the road over the Giants with an even more impressive victory over the defending NFC Champion San Francisco 49ers, 23-17. QB Sam Darnold played another wonderful game that included a 97-yard TD pass to Justin Jefferson. This game could have been an absolute blowout if Aaron Jones didn't fumble at the 1-yard line... a touchdown would have given the Vikings a 27-7 lead, but the 49ers turned around and scored a TD making it 20-14. Sam Darnold and the offense (along with help from the stellar defense) stayed poised and pulled out a 23-17 victory. One of the most impressive drives I have scene in awhile that essentially put the nail in the coffin, was the Vikings drive late in the 4th Quarters that led to a FG to take the lead 23-14. This didn't leave enough time on the clock for the 49ers to come back. Way to go, Vikings!
Let's recap Birdman's Blog's prediction for Week 2, and then we can go over some talking points:
"In Week 2, the Vikings will host the dominant San Francisco 49ers. Both teams will likely have a key player out for the game. Star RB Christian McCaffrey is dealing with Achilles Tendonitis and Vikings WR Jordan Addison has 2 sprained ankles. Both teams have plenty of playmakers that will be asked to step up in the absense of these 2 players. The Vikings and 49ers both have very good defenses, so I think this will be a dog fight type of game, coming down to the last seconds. I predict the Vikings will win 23-20 on a game-winning field goal from future star kicker Will Reichard. The 49ers have not beaten the Vikings in Minnesota in 32 years, and that will continue this Sunday! Let's go, baby! Start the season 2-0!"
I was pretty close on the outcome and score prediction for the second week in a row! Kicker Will Reichard ended up making the game sealing FG to make it 23-14. The 49ers kicked a FG to bring the score to 23-17 with less than 2 minutes to go, and then were unsuccessful in the onside kick attempt with no timeouts, allowing the Vikings to kneel out the victory. Side note: I thought the 49ers should have kicked the FG earlier than they did since they were already out of timeouts. That would have given them a chance to kick the ball deep and stop the Vikings offense before having another chance to score a game winning TD.
Both defenses played wonderfully. Blake Cashman and Patrick Jones had awesome games, while Superstar LB Fred Warner had an interception and forced the fumble on Aaron Jones at the 1-yard line. Warner single-handedly kept the 49ers in the game.
The 97-yard TD pass from Sam Darnold to Justin Jefferson was the longest Vikings TD pass since Gus Frerotte connecting with Bernard Berrian for a 99-yard TD back in 2008.
This is a different Vikings team than we have seen in a long time. The poise they showed to still come out victorious even after being faced with adversity multiple times was extremely impressive. They absolutely outplayed and out-coached one of the best teams in the NFL. This Vikings team starting the season 2-0 is not an accident like the national and local media might try to make you believe. The Vikings were able to upgrade the QB position for a cheaper cost which allowed them to improve the rest of the team, as well!
Week 3 - Texans @ Vikings:
The 2-0 Texans will come into town to face the 2-0 Vikings. This will be another matchup of future playoff teams fighting to stay undefeated in this young season. The Texans will likely be without their top 2 RBs, but their passing game is electric. Nico Collins is leading the league in receiving yards this season, while they also have Stefon Diggs and Tank Dell. The Texans have one of the best defenses in the league, leading the NFL after 2 weeks in sack rate per pass play. The Vikings will be without Dallas Turner, Ivan Pace Jr, Jordan Addison, and TJ Hockenson. The Ivan Pace Jr absense will be the toughest of these 4 players. Brian Flores will have a plan though, as the Vikings are actually second in the NFL after 2 weeks in sack rate per pass play. This will be another matchup that comes down to the final minutes. I predict a 27-20 victory for the Vikings to improve to 3-0 thanks to big games from Justin Jefferson, Aaron Jones, and the defense! Let's go, Vikings! Go get the WIN! SKOOLLLLLL!
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