The San Francisco 49ers begin their 2020 playoff run as they welcome the Vikings in the Divisional Round. Bold predictions for the Niners in this matchup.
Coming into the season, there was certainly some buzz about the San Francisco 49ers and what Kyle Shanahan’s team could potentially be. However, most people were waiting to see it before they bought into what the Niners could be. As it turns out, everyone should’ve been willing to give them their faith as San Francisco has very much reached the top end of their heights.
On Saturday afternoon, the 49ers open their 2020 NFL Playoffs run as the No. 1 seed in the NFC, welcoming the Minnesota Vikings to Levi’s Stadium. Kirk Cousins and the Vikings are fresh off an upset of the Saints last week but now face a tall task as they go up against Jimmy Garoppolo, George Kittle, Nick Bosa and a complete 49ers team.
This is going to be a huge test for Shanahan’s Niners, largely because many or most of these players — aside from maybe Richard Sherman and a returning Dee Ford — have little to no playoff experience. Thus, how they perform under this kind of pressure remains to be seen.
But that doesn’t mean we can’t try to predict how those things will play out. Here are five bold predictions for the San Francisco 49ers as they take on the Vikings in the Divisional playoffs.
5. Mostert catches fire
All season long, the 49ers have had a multi-headed attack in their rushing offense with the roles changing variably throughout the year. Whether it’s been Tevin Coleman, Matt Breida or Raheem Mostert, San Francisco has been the second most productive running game in the league this season.
Mostert, however, has been the one to really carry the load down the stretch of the regular season. He ended the year as San Francisco’s overall leading rusher with 137 carries for 772 yards and eight touchdowns to go with 14 receptions for 180 yards and two scores.
With the speed that Mostert possesses, I think he’s sent out to attack Anthony Barr often on Saturday and has an immense amount of success doing so. He’ll finish the game with at least 75 yards rushing, at least 35 yards receiving and at least one trip to the end zone in a good matchup for the speedy back.