49ers hopeful after 5-0 finish last year
MINNEAPOLIS >> Chants of “Skol!” roared through the Vikings’ state-of-the-art stadium as fans celebrated the “Minneapolis Miracle,” a playoff comeback against the New Orleans Saints.
That was the last time the Vikings played high-stakes football at home. They missed out on truly hosting the Super Bowl there last February.
Entering that intimidating cauldron Sunday is a 49ers team determined to make its own playoff noise this season.
These aren’t the same 49ers who started last season 0-9 in coach Kyle Shanahan’s debut. That franchise-worst start callused them up, tested their mettle, and became a distant memory once Jimmy Garoppolo’s 5-0 December debut sparked great expectations.
Now the 49ers start anew against last year’s NFC runners-up.
“It’s going to be a challenge for us,” Garoppolo said, “but it will be fun.”
Here are five ways to a Week 1 upset:
1. WIN IN THE TRENCHES >> The Vikings’ greatest weakness is their offensive line. And the 49ers’ was their pass rush, until now. Minnesota lost last season’s
guards and have inserted a center they traded for only two weeks ago. This should be highly inviting for 49ers interior linemen DeForest Buckner, Solomon Thomas and Arik Armstead in critical passing downs.
Cousins knows what could be coming, telling Vikings reporters: “You’re going to get push into your lap and it makes it hard to step into throws. Any pass rush is tough no matter where it’s coming from. You’ve got to have a good feel for the rush, get the ball out quickly, make good decisions and be accurate.”
On the flip side, the 49ers’ offensive line is also rebuilt. Center Weston Richburg and rookie right tackle Mike McGlinchey are sandwiched around a right guard who likely will be Mike Person, unless Joshua Garnett is the surprise starter. A fortified front is a must to protect Garoppolo against the NFL’s best 2017 defense.
Offensive tackles Joe Staley (12th year) and McGlinchey (2018 No. 9 overall draft pick) face tough draws against Everson Griffen and Danielle Hunter, and McGlinchey’s confidence isn’t shaking entering his debut.
“It’s going to be a good challenge, but that’s why I’m here,” McGlinchey said. 2. BACKFIELD SHIFT >> Jerick McKinnon’s season-ending knee injury Sept. 1 forced “drastic” changes in the 49ers’ game plan, Shanahan said. Such is life in the NFL, however. The 49ers have enough offensive options to keep pace on the scoreboard.
Veteran Alfred Morris (69 starts) likely will have a bigger workload than Matt Breida (0 starts) in the backfield, and fullback Kyle Juszczyk is a Pro Bowl target. Shuttling those players around is the best way to unsettle the Vikings (No. 2 in run defense last year).
Wide receiver Pierre Garçon said of McKinnon’s exit: “It definitely hurts our pass catching out of the backfield, especially mismatches with him against linebackers. … But those guys are going to do the job — Juice, Alfred and Breida. They’ll fill in the void wherever coaches ask them to do.”
Morris, signed only last month, is out to prove he’s got tread left on his 5,503yard tires. Breida will want to show he’s more than a
change-of-pace back with improved hands and capability to pass protect. And if there’s no room to run ...
3. JIMMY G. MAGIC >> Garoppolo is this offense’s maestro. His presence will cushion the blow of losing McKinnon.
“It definitely helps, it definitely helps,” Garçon said. “It definitely goes a long way.”
Garçon isn’t Garoppolo’s go-to guy. Marquise Goodwin has been the QB’s muse. But both receivers, along with Trent Taylor and Dante Pettis, figure to get multiple targets, especially Taylor in the slot against rookie Mike Hughes. The Vikings were excellent in coverage last year against running backs and tight ends.
Garoppolo kept cool and composed last year to win all three of his road starts — at Chicago, Houston and Los Angeles Rams — and he won the 2016 New England Patriots opener at Arizona. You may have heard he’s 7-0 all-time as a starter. Did you know Kirk Cousins was 0-3 as Washington’s Week 1 starter since 2015?
4. SHERMAN IMPACT >> Cornerback Richard Sherman brings play-making ability and confidence that should be contagious to the defense. If Cousins shies away from Sherman, Ahkello Witherspoon will draw fire on the other side of the field, and he’ll have to be ready for that assault. Two interceptions as a rookie bolstered Witherspoon’s confidence, and Sherman’s tutoring the past six months really has Witherspoon believing they’ve got the makings of an All-Pro tandem.
Cousins is sure to also attack with short- and mid-range passes, meaning rookie linebacker Fred Warner has a chance to catch the Vikings by surprise with his athleticism and physicality.
The 49ers are ready for
Vikings coordinator John DeFilippo to dial up runpass-option (RPO) plays, which he’ll incorporate from last season’s Super Bowl run as the Eagles quarterbacks coach.
“It puts stress on the defense as a whole if you’re not prepared for it,” Warner said. “We’re making sure we’re not getting hit in certain areas where we’re not protected.”
5. PLAYING CHESS >> Game planning for the league’s top defense is right up Shanahan’s alley. He thrives for such X’s and O’s, even if it means having to revise strategy after McKinnon’s injury. Vikings coach Mike Zimmer is wary.
“Unfortunately I’ve had to go against him a few times in my career,” Zimmer said, “and he’s always done a nice job with the play calls, keeping you off balance with the motions and the shifts and the different snap counts. Hopefully our guys are able to adjust to it pretty well.”
Shanahan’s offenses have averaged impressive stats (26 points, 390 yards) in games he’s faced off against the defensive-oriented Zimmer in their days as coordinators.
“You’ve got to be ready for everything,” Shanahan said. “They have their base defense, but whatever you get them with they have every adjustment possible to take that away.
“We’ve got to go in with an open mind and see how they play us. Just be ready to execute.”
• Dekoda Watson went on the injured-reserve list, a day before he figured to bolster their special teams and help the pass rush in the opener against the Vikings. Watson, 30, injured a hamstring in practice Friday.
A potential replacement on the roster is Pita Taumoepenu, who went on the practice squad last Sunday after getting waived.