The San Francisco 49ers lost their opener against the Minnesota Vikings but there were plenty of encouraging displays. We look at three standouts.
The San Francisco 49ers‘ 24-16 defeat to the Minnesota Vikings was one that should leave plenty of hope they can compete with the NFL’s very best.
While Jimmy Garopplo endured undoubtedly his worst game as his seven-game winning streak as a starter was snapped, a number of players shone, with the season opener providing yet more evidence that this regime knows how to draft well.
Here we look at three standouts from a game in which the Niners could well have triumphed had they executed better.
Fred Warner
With Reuben Foster suspended and Malcolm Smith out injured, there was huge pressure on Warner to perform at the MIKE linebacker spot. Undaunted by the prospect of serving as the chief defensive communicator, Warner delivered a magnificent performance, making numerous key plays as the defense held the Vikings offense to 17 points.
Warner made 12 total tackles, with one for a loss, and a quarterback hit. He also forced a fumble from Dalvin Cook as the running back looked to break free for a touchdown and made a key third-down pass breakup to give the 49ers offense a last chance to tie the game, sparing Solomon Thomas’ blushes after the defensive end fell for Kirk Cousins’ hard count on the previous fourth down.
Linebacker depth is a concern for the 49ers, but Warner’s debut display should give San Francisco plenty of excitement about their options about the position and will make it difficult to keep him off the field even when both Foster and Smith are back.
DeForest Buckner
Though the Niners made strides towards the end of last season, it was largely a year of frustration for DeForest Buckner, who had only three sacks despite a dominant campaign from the interior of the defensive line. Buckner was typically disruptive in Minnesota, but this time he got his rewards as he recorded 2.5 sacks, the most by any 49ers player in a game since 2011.
His first sack saw him easily beat Vikings guard Tom Compton with an arm-over move that has been a key part of Buckner’s pass-rush repertoire and, though the his other 1.5 sacks came as a result of him cleaning up an initial pressure, they were well deserved for a player whose numbers have not matched his performances so far in his young career.
Buckner only appears to have improved and, if Sunday is any evidence, looks poised for a breakout campaign that is long overdue.
Dante Pettis
Marquise Goodwin’s calf injury was not overly serious, but it was enough to keep him out of the majority of the game, robbing Garoppolo of his favorite target.
But rookie Dante Pettis helped to fill the void. Though he arguably should have held on to one touchdown grab when Trae Waynes managed to breakup a Garoppolo deep shot, Pettis redeemed himself by making an excellent catch in the back of the end zone for the 49ers sole touchdown.
Pettis also burnt Mike Hughes for a 39-yard catch and run and was consistently able to engineer separation off the line with his stems against one of the best secondaries in the NFL. The second-round pick could hardly have had a tougher first assignment, and the fact he has one of the Niners most effective weapons suggests he can have a substantial impact in his first year.