49ers vs. Vikings: Preview, score prediction and more for Week 1

The Minnesota Vikings host the San Francisco 49ers in a matchup between two of the league’s highest-paid quarterbacks. Here we preview the Week 1 clash.

Perhaps the most intriguing matchup of Week 1 takes place in Minnesota, where the Vikings start their quest to go one better than last year’s NFC Championship game run against a San Francisco 49ers team expected to push for the postseason.

But more than being a meeting of two playoff contenders, this is a game that will pit the quarterback Kyle Shanahan coveted, Kirk Cousins, against the one that appears poised to turn his 49ers club around, Jimmy Garoppolo.

For Cousins this is a first opportunity to prove he is worth the three-year, $84 million contract the Vikings signed him to and is the man to lead Minnesota to a first Super Bowl title. Meanwhile, Garoppolo, still undefeated as a starter, meets the toughest defense he has faced on the road in what is also an enticing meeting of coaching minds as Shanahan pits his wits against Mike Zimmer.

49ers Keys to Victory

A win over one of the best all-around teams in the NFL in their own building would go a long way to silencing those who still doubt Garoppolo and the 49ers. Garoppolo proved he can hang points on an elite defense when he shredded the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 16 last season. Yet the Niners ability to upset the odds likely hinges on their play on both sides of the trenches.

The 49ers offensive line did a magnificent job of keeping Garoppolo clean in the preseason, but doing so against the Vikings vaunted front seven will be a different challenge entirely.

Danielle Hunter, Sheldon Richardson, Everson Griffen and Anthony Barr all have the ability to wreck the 49ers offensive gameplan. If the San Francisco O-line, which features three new starters, can keep them at bay then it will be a big step towards victory.

The Niners are similarly blessed with disruptive talent on the defensive line but have struggled to convert pressures into sacks. That cannot afford to be the case against a below-par Vikings O-line missing its best player in Pat Elflein. Big games from the likes of DeForest Buckner and Solomon Thomas are need to disrupt Cousins’ rhythm and force turnovers from a player with a reputation for committing them at key moments.

Vikings Keys to Victory

Minnesota will obviously need its O-line to hold up at least reasonably well for the offense to tick but in terms of where to target the 49ers defense it is best for Cousins to look to the middle of the field.

Richard Sherman is likely to be blanketing one side of the field but separation should not be hard to come by over the middle, with the 49ers missing linebacker Reuben Foster through suspension and Malcolm Smith doubtful with a hamstring injury. Rookie Fred Warner had a reputation as an excellent coverage linebacker in college but that is not an area of strength for Brock Coyle, who will start alongside him if Smith is not available.

Look for the Vikings to try to take advantage of Coyle and the inexperience of Warner by making them second guess with play-action and run-pass options — a staple of the Eagles gameplan new Vikings offensive coordinator John DeFilippo is versed in — in the hope of freeing up space for tight end Kyle Rudolph and Adam Thielen, who should see plenty of action from the slot as well as on the outside.

Cornerback Xavier Rhodes is questionable and Mackenzie Alexander is doubtful and, should the 49ers O-Line hold up against the Vikings front seven, there will be pressure on the beat-up secondary to lock down Garoppolo’s favorite targets.

Marquise Goodwin has emerged as a number one receiver while slot receiver Trent Taylor was excellent on third down in his rookie year. The Shanahan offense is one where the ball is spread around the field, but if the Vikings can keep Goodwin and Taylor under wraps Garoppolo — who can at times be overly risky with the football — may be forced into more low percentage throws and struggle to get the offense going. If not it could be a frustrating day for this excellent defense.

Betting Odds

Point Spead: Vikings -6.5
Moneyline: San Francisco +220, Minnesota -270
Over/Under: 46

All odds via Odds Shark.

Prediction

The 49ers have more than enough to keep this close into the fourth quarter, but the Vikings are the more talented team almost across the board and have a significant home advantage. Minnesota edges a tight one, but opinion of the 49ers will only improve after a highly competitive contest.

Final Score: San Francisco 49ers 24, Minnesota Vikings 28