Twin Cities on Monday night, the Minnesota Vikings defeated the San Francisco 49ers 22-17 at U.S. Bank Stadium in another close game.
Kirk Cousins fired two touchdown passes to rookie wide receiver Jordan Addison, and Minnesota intercepted 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy twice in the fourth quarter to move to 3-4. After starting the season 5-0, the 49ers (5-2) dropped two straight despite two more Christian McCaffrey touchdowns
Minnesota Vikings
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The Vikings will struggle to imagine the midseason sell-off fans and media expect. Their win over the widely favored 49ers placed them within a game of.500, and with a weaker schedule, the Vikings will focus more on making the playoffs than dealing veterans and settling for a high first-round pick in 2024.
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Safety Camryn Bynum intercepted two late 49ers drives to end it. As the Vikings prepare for games against the Green Bay Packers, Atlanta Falcons, and New Orleans Saints, plus the likely return of star wideout Justin Jefferson, they may think their luck has run out.
This season, the Vikings have lost seven games by a single score. They memorably went 11-0 in similar games last season. Who knows what’ll come?
Buy/sell on a breakout: Vikings training camp watchers knew Addison was special. Cousins recently noted, “He’s a great player.” The NFL world saw it after Jefferson was injured. Addison caught seven passes for 123 yards and two scores Monday night, including a 60-yard pass he stole from 49ers cornerback Charvarius Ward before halftime. His 14-yard reception on third down at 2:19 after returning from cramping sealed the victory. Addison has six receiving touchdowns, second in the NFL.
Trouble for 49rs:
Ward blocked a throw intended for Addison on the Vikings’ first possession for the fourth time this season, more than any team in a complete season or seven games since 2020. The 49ers fumbled back to them, so the turnover didn’t hurt scoring. Basically, it’s a really risky lifestyle.
Cousins tied for the most NFL defeats among quarterbacks with at least 10 starts (“Monday Night Football,” winning only 2/12).
But he played well against one of the NFL’s best defenses when the Vikings didn’t trust their running game. He completed 35 of 45 passes for 378 yards and threw in the dying minutes as the Vikings sought to run out the clock.
The Vikings led, but Cousins threw 45 passes and running backs carried 19 times. Kevin Seifert
Next game: Packers (1 p.m. ET Sunday).
San Francisco 49ers
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Five weeks into the season, the 49ers seemed untouchable. Two weeks in the NFL is an eternity, and the promise of a great run can rapidly fade into the harsh reality of how hard it is to win regularly.
The Niners lost two straight after losing to the Vikings for the first time since precisely a year ago. That losing skid will test the 49ers’ championship potential.
The Niners face the Cincinnati Bengals, Jacksonville Jaguars, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Seattle Seahawks, Philadelphia Eagles, and Seattle again in seven weeks. How they respond to another road loss will determine their championship chances.
QB breakdown: Purdy’s worst game as a pro in last week’s loss to the Cleveland Browns raised questions about his performance this week. The answer? Purdy remained calm for three quarters but made two critical blunders late. Purdy rushed a pass to Jauan Jennings that Bynum easily intercepted with 5:30 left as the Niners drove for a lead. He threw another to Bynum at the Minnesota 22 with 25 seconds left as the 49ers tried to score again.
The Niners had several problems that night, but Purdy’s interceptions came at the worst time. He completed 21-of-30 for 272 yards and one touchdown with two interceptions for an 81.5 passing rating.
Crucial Play from 49rs:
![Jordan Addison, Kirk Cousins lead Vikings past 49ers](http://trendsha.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/49ers-1-1.webp)
With 17 seconds left in the first half, Niners defensive coordinator Steve Wilks called a Cover 0 blitz on a third-and-6 at Minnesota’s 40. Without timeouts, any tackle in bounds would have terminated the half for the Vikings.
However, the blitz failed, leaving Ward one-on-one with Addison at the 49ers’ 37. Addison stole Cousins’ ball from Ward and ran for a 60-yard, game-changing touchdown. Next Gen Stats said that it was the first seven-man pass rush in opponent territory in the last 30 seconds of a half since Week 11 of 2020, making it an unusual defensive call. For the Niners, it was costly.
Trouble: Niners kicker Jake Moody was perfect for five weeks before missing two shots last week against Cleveland, including a game-winning one in the fourth quarter. The problems continued Monday night as Moody missed a 40-yard field goal in the first half. Fortunately, he hit a 55-yard shot. However, 40-yard misses are mounting up.
The 49ers selected Moody with a third-round choice to kick now and in the future. But this squad is in win-now mode, so it’s unclear how patient they can be with Moody before moving on. Nick Wagoner
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