Vikings vs. 49ers: Thoughts & Expectations

The long awaited start of the Vikings regular season is just a few days away Linval Joseph Jersey , and expectations are high going into the Vikings first home game against the 49ers.Here’s a few matchups I’m looking at:CAN THE VIKINGS RUN ON THE 49ERS DEFENSE?It will be interesting to see how the Vikings offense line fares on Sunday, with Brett Jones at center and Tom Compton at left guard, in addition to Reiff at left tackle, Remmers at right guard and Rashod Hill at right tackle.The 49ers have DeForest Buckner on their defensive line, but even his run defense wasn’t that great last season, and everybody else along the 49ers DL was worse. Beyond that, the 49ers will be starting a couple unproven linebackers - including rookie 3rd round pick Fred Warner.Malcolm Smith missed all of last season, and hasn’t fared well in the three seasons prior to that.Smith was also limited in practice yesterday with a hamstring issue.The 49ers top LB - Reuben Foster - will be out serving a suspension.Expect the Vikings to test the 9ers’ LBs early and often with both run and pass, which could lead to big games for Dalvin Cook and Latavius Murray.HOW GOOD IS RICHARD SHERMAN THESE DAYS?It will be interesting if Kirk Cousins throws much into Sherman’s coverage. Sherman has been a shut-down corner for a long time, but started showing his age last season before he suffered an Achilles injury that sidelined him the rest of the season in Seattle.Now with the 9ers, and with just 34 snaps in preseason, how well will he play?WELCOME TO THE NFL MIKE MCGLINCHEYOn offense, the 49ers will be starting rookie first-round pick Mike McGlinchey at right-tackle. He was mediocre in preseason, and will be facing off against Danielle Hunter, who may give him a rather rude welcome to the NFL.JIMMY G VS. MIKE ZJimmy Garoppolo has been in the league for several years now, but still has just over a handful of games under his belt. Look for Mike Zimmer and the Vikings defense to throw a lot of different looks at him, with lots of pre-snap movement to get in his head. And if the 9ers aren’t able to put together an effective ground game without Jerick McKinnon, it could be a long and painful outing for Jimmy G, who can throw the occasional INT.I wouldn’t be surprised to see the return of the double-A gap blitz look against the 49ers’ interior OL and Jimmy G, among other things.Sheldon Richardson had his best game (largely due to run defense) last season at the 49ers week 12.The 49ers OL outside of Joe Staley at LT (who is a stud), will be tested against the Vikings DL.SPECIAL TEAMSWith all the issues the Vikings had in preseason on special teams, combined with the new specialists and returners Kirk Cousins Jersey , it will be interesting to see how the Vikings fare on special teams.I’m hoping for a mistake-free game on special teams, but with a new punter, kicker, holder, returner, special teams players, and new rules,anything could happen. Hopefully it will be uneventful.BOTTOM LINEThe 49ers had a lot planned for Jerick McKinnon in their offense this year, so losing him for the season with an ACL tear was a big blow. Losing MLB Reuben Foster to suspension for two games will hurt too.Still, Jimmy G looks like the real deal and he’s got a couple good receivers to throw to in Pierre Garcon and Marquise Goodwin. But Mike Zimmer and the Vikings defense in the roar of the crowd at US Bank stadium isn’t about to let a young QB steal the show, especially absent a decent ground game.I’m looking for a dominant defensive performance from the Vikings to start the season, with an impressive ground game making things easier for Kirk Cousins in his debut as a Viking, and a comfortable Vikings win.27-13. GREEN BAY, Wis. — The Green Bay Packers strolled into Chicago for the season opener boasting a revamped defense with several expensive additions, and suffocated quarterback Mitchell Trubisky and the Bears’ offense.Defensive coordinator Mike Pettine’s unit will see an entirely different challenge in running back Dalvin Cook on Sunday when the Packers (1-0) host the Minnesota Vikings (1-0), another NFC North foe.Cook rushed for 111 yards and two touchdowns on 21 carries against the Atlanta Falcons last week. It was the third-year back’s third 100-yard outing in his 16th career game.More Vikings coveragePreview: Cook, Vikings look to keep rolling vs. PackersTop Tweets: Vikings prepare for Packers with TMNT hype videoBarr, seasoned Vikings defense off to strong startNew offense, same Rodgers: Vikings prep for LaFleur’s PackersVikings re-sign center Jones, waive rookie TE Dillon“Yeah, the run game, I mean it all starts Adrian Peterson Jersey , that running back, he’s an elite runner,” Packers coach Matt LaFleur said. “Dalvin Cook’s an elite runner, and they did a nice job up front. They took it to Atlanta, quite frankly, last week.”When healthy, Cook has proven to be one of the prime runners in the league. But staying healthy has been the biggest challenge of Cook’s young career.Cook, a 2017 second-round pick, played only four games as a rookie, suffering a torn ACL. Cook battled injury again last season, missing a chunk after a hamstring injury in a 29-29 tie at Lambeau Field in Week 2.Cook said he’s not thinking about last season’s injury or last season’s tie.“Different team, different mindset, different coaches, everything’s different,” he said. “You’ve got to expect different things. I can’t really talk about what we did last year.”The Packers allowed just 46 yards on the ground in the opener, with inside linebacker Blake Martinez leading the team with five tackles and a sack. Outside linebackers Za’Darius Smith and Preston Smith and safety Adrian Amos, all acquired in March through free agency, combined for five tackles, 2½ sacks and an interception. The Smiths combined for 10 total quarterback pressures; Za’Darius Smith had six, which leads the league.“The guys that they brought in are pretty good players,” Cook said of the Green Bay defense. “They kind of added some rangy, long guys. I think their defensive speed is a plus for them John Randle Jersey , and they kind of fly around. I think that’s what’s going to get their defense charged up. I think we’ve got to kind of limit that for those guys and match speed for speed. We can do that.”REUNITEDIf there’s anyone who knows what to expect from Minnesota quarterback Kirk Cousins, it’s LaFleur. LaFleur was Cousins’ position coach in Washington in 2012 and 2013. Washington was LaFleur’s first stop in the NFL.“If you let him sit back there and have time, he’s going to pick you apart because he’s extremely accurate,” LaFleur said of Cousins.Cousins, who sent a congratulatory text message to LaFleur after the first-year Packers coach picked up his first career win in Chicago, played sparingly under LaFleur as Cousins backed up 2012 AP Offensive Rookie of the Year Robert Griffin III.Cousins had just 10 pass attempts in the win last week, the fewest of any game he’s started in his career.“I have no interest in dropping back 50 times if we don’t need to,” he said. “I like to win the way we did last week if that’s the way it can happen. I’ll play whatever game is called, whatever game we need, and all that really matters is that we find a way at the end to win. I’m not going to nitpick or look at any of the steps along the way to get there.”SIMPLY DOMINANTAaron Rodgers has seven games with a passer rating of 130-plus against Minnesota, the most by a quarterback against one team in NFL history. Rodgers has 24 touchdown and zero interceptions in those seven games (6-1).“It’s just high-percentage passes,” he said. “You’re trying to find in the progression what guys give you the best chance of a completion and the lowest chance of a negative play. This is the way I’ve played and we’ve played here for a long time. We take care of the football.”STOUT DEFENSETwo of Minnesota’s biggest defensive stars have shined brightest against Green Bay. Free safety Harrison Smith, who had a team-high eight tackles last week, has five career interceptions against the Packers. The eight-year veteran has 20 career picks. Meanwhile, defensive end Everson Griffen has 12½ sacks in 19 career games against Green Bay.“You have Pro Bowl-caliber players on every level of the defense, great inside linebackers, two guys off the edge who can rush really, really well, and then a back end that can really cover, one of the top safeties in the league in Harrison, and obviously a great corner combo with Trae and Xavier,” Rodgers said. “They do a great job of playing their scheme. They’ve been together for a while. They’re a tough team to try to attack.”OFFENSIVE FOCUSBoth LaFleur and Green Bay offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett said the offense needs to operate more efficiently on first and second downs on Sunday to avoid third-and-long situations. The Packers converted only 2 of 12 third-down opportunities in the opener.INJURY CONCERNSThe Vikings placed receiver Josh Doctson on injured reserve Thursday with a hamstring injury. Minnesota signed the 2016 first-round pick just before the start of the season after he was released by Washington. Doctson was inactive for Week 1.Green Bay left tackle David Bakhtiari Alan Page Jersey , who appeared on the team’s injury report Wednesday with a back issue, was not in pads on Thursday. LaFleur wouldn’t say whether Bakhtiari was held out for precautionary reasons or if it means his availability for Sunday is in question.MINNESOTA (1-0) at GREEN BAY (1-0)Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, FoxOPENING LINE — Packers by 3RECORD VS. SPREAD — Vikings 1-0; Packers 1-0SERIES RECORD — Packers lead 60-54-3LAST MEETING — Vikings beat Packers 24-17, Nov. 25, 2018LAST WEEK — Vikings beat Falcons 28-12; Packers beat Bears 10-3AP PRO32 RANKING – Vikings No. 7, Packers No. 11VIKINGS OFFENSE – OVERALL (26), RUSH (4), PASS (32).VIKINGS DEFENSE – OVERALL (13), RUSH (9), PASS (18).PACKERS OFFENSE – OVERALL (31), RUSH (27), PASS (28).PACKERS DEFENSE – OVERALL (5), RUSH (5), PASS (10).STREAKS, STATS AND NOTES – Minnesota is 5-1-1 in last seven meetings with Green Bay, its best seven-game stretch in 117-game series since going 6-1 from 1990-93. … Vikings RB Dalvin Cook rushed for 111 yards and two touchdowns on 21 carries last week. It was third-year back’s third 100-yard outing in 16th career game. … QB Kirk Cousins attempted only 10 passes, career low for game he started. Cousins averaged 43 attempts in two games against Packers last year. … WR Adam Thielen has 43 receptions for 578 yards and five TDs in last five games against Packers. … Five of FS Harrison Smith’s 20 career interceptions have come vs. Packers. … DE Everson Griffen has 12½ sacks in 19 career games vs. Packers. … Green Bay has scored 23 points in 11 of last 13 home games against Vikings. … Green Bay is 4-1-1 in home September matchups against Vikings. Green Bay is 13-6-2 against Minnesota at Lambeau Field since 2000. … Packers are 12-8-1 against Vikings with Aaron Rodgers as starting quarterback. … Rodgers has seven career games with passer rating of 130-plus against Minnesota, most by quarterback by one team in NFL history. … New Packers coach Matt LaFleur served as Cousins’ quarterbacks coach in Washington in 2012 and 2013. … Fantasy tip: Rodgers has thrown 20 interceptions and three interceptions in last 15 games against Vikings.