Viktor
Well-known member
- Mar 19, 2019
- 2,552
- 0
EAGAN, Minn. — The Vikings have tempered the emotions of Sunday’s shocking win and turned the page to another daunting task.
Minnesota will visit NFC West champ and top-seeded San Francisco at 3:35 p.m. (CT) Saturday. NBC will broadcast the action nationally as Levi’s Stadium hosts its first playoff game.
It will be the Vikings second consecutive road contest against a team that won 13 games in 2019. Minnesota is again a heavy underdog, a role that players and coaches embraced last week.
Such is life as a No. 6 seed in the NFC Playoffs.
Here are three notes on the 48th overall matchup and sixth postseason game between the Vikings and 49ers franchises, as well as information on how to watch or listen to the game.
Defenses pursue passers: Minnesota QB Kirk Cousins and San Francisco signal caller Jimmy Garoppolo could be under duress from intimidating defensive fronts. The Vikings and 49ers defenses tied for fifth in the NFL with 48 sacks in 2019. Cousins was sacked 28 times on the season, which was an improvement by 12 from 2018; Garoppolo, who started 16 games for the first time in his career, was sacked 36 times.
Targeting tight ends: Vikings tight end Kyle Rudolph, the longest-tenured offensive player on the team, caught a 4-yard touchdown pass from Kirk Cousins in overtime for the walk-off win. Rudolph has caught Minnesota’s past two postseason touchdown passes. Niners tight end George Kittle, a former Iowa star, is making his postseason debut. Kittle’s 2,945 receiving yards are the most by a tight end in a player’s first three NFL seasons. He topped Mike Ditka (2,774), Rob Gronkowski (2,663) and Jimmy Graham (2,648).
Protect the pigskin: The Vikings lost one fumble against the Saints early and nearly lost another late, but Dalvin Cook’s knee hit the ground before the ball came out. Minnesota countered by forcing an interception and fumble by Drew Brees, the first time that New Orleans committed two turnovers in a game this season. The 49ers led the NFL with 21 forced fumbles in 2019 and ranked third in the NFC with 27 takeaways.