The beauty of a short week is that football is back before you can even catch your breath following the last game.
For the players and coaches of the 49ers, that’s not a good thing, though.
Game No. 2 on the season takes the 49ers to Minnesota, a glass house of horrors for the Niners last season, for a sneaky-excellent matchup with the Vikings.
Here’s how I see the 49ers winning on Sunday. And how they can drop the game, as well:
How the 49ers win
Related Articles
San Francisco 49ers |
49ers put Christian McCaffrey on injured reserve for next month
San Francisco 49ers |
49ers at Vikings: 5 keys to beating NFC foe inside U.S. Bank Stadium
San Francisco 49ers |
Kurtenbach: Christian McCaffrey’s calf injury could define the 49ers’ season
San Francisco 49ers |
49ers’ McCaffrey out for Vikings game, injured reserve a possibility
San Francisco 49ers |
How 49ers’ stability paved way for Sam Darnold to revitalize career, start for Vikings
They do the same thing as last week
Football doesn’t have to be complicated.
Inside zone, outside zone, and Jordan Mason consistently picking the best lanes to run — it was the formula for the 49ers on Monday night football, and it shouldn’t change for at least the next four games with Christian McCaffrey on injured reserve.
“The only good thing that came out of [McCaffrey’] not playing [Monday] is that our playbook shrinks a little bit, which I’m always a fan of,” tight end George Kittle said.
And a small playbook is not a problem.
Especially in September, which is, effectively, the team’s preseason after an ineffective training camp.
It’s also a win for the Niners’ offensive line, which is an effective run-blocking unit at the moment, but provides serious question marks on pass protection (outside of left tackle Trent Williams.)
The Niners had a fullback or second tight end on the field for 82 percent of offensive snaps against the Jets. They told New York what they were going to do — run it right at them — and they were still able to do it to the tune of 147 yards on the ground for Mason.
No player saw more stacked boxes (eight or more players) last week than Mason, but it was no problem. Running off the right end (typically a tight end), Mason rushed for 8.1 yards per clip. Off the behind of rookie right guard Dominick Puni, that number jumped to 8.3 yards on three attempts.
There’s no reason for the 49ers to deviate from Monday’s game plan. If the Vikings, with their dynamic, chaotic defense, can stop it, the Niners can adjust, but the best route …read more
Source:: The Mercury News – Entertainment
