We get this week’s insider perspective
Once again, it’s time for us to get some intel on the Minnesota Vikings’ opponent from the folks who run that team’s blog here on SB Nation. This week, the Vikings will play host to the defending NFC champs, the San Francisco 49ers, and that means talking with the folks from Niners Nation.
I’ve exchanged some questions with Marc Delucchi of NN, and here are the answers he sent my way. Once the answers that I provided to the questions Marc provided me are up on Niners Nation, I’ll post them here.
1) The Niners moved the ball up and down the field against the Jets in their season opener but had to settle for a lot of field goals, including a couple in the red zone. With all the weapons they have on offense, is there reason for concern for the Niners on this front yet?
The 49ers had the best redzone efficiency in the NFL last season, so it’s reasonable to expect some regression in 2024. However, by no means is there reason for concern yet. Add in the unusual preseason circumstances surrounding Brandon Aiyuk and Trent Williams, and it seems reasonable that the Niners will need a little more time to find a rhythm in those circumstances. Granted, that could make them a bit more vulnerable to an upset.
2) Last season, the Niners lost their outstanding safety, Talanoa Hufanga, to a torn ACL. He’s listed on the injury report as being limited in practice after missing the opener. Do you think he’ll be back against the Vikings this week and, if so, how big a difference will he make for the San Francisco defense?
Given how cautious the 49ers tend to be around artificial turf, I lean toward Hufanga sitting for another week. If he does take the field, though, he immediately adds an incredible playmaking energy to an already loaded defense. Since Hufanga first found his way into the 49ers secondary, he has consistently found his way to the ball. Hufanga has made just 27 starts over the last two seasons. In those games, he has 149 tackles, 12 passes defended, 7 interceptions, 6 tackles for loss, 5 quarterback hits, and 2 sacks. That wild level of production from the safety position tells you how much his presence could change the game.
(NOTE: Since I received the answers to these questions from Marc, Hufanga was officially listed as doubtful by the Niners and likely won’t play on Sunday.)
3) Brock Purdy led the Niners through the postseason and to the Super Bowl last season and was on the shortlist for Most Valuable Player for much of the year. He’s in his third season, which means contract extension talks are coming in the near future. Do you think Purdy is worthy of potentially being the next “highest-paid quarterback” in the NFL?
I’ve consistently been on the lower side of evaluating Purdy. From the jump, he looked clearly better than any other quarterback had under Kyle Shanahan in San Francisco, but I was also pretty consistently critical of Jimmy Garoppolo. In terms of how Purdy stacks up against other signalcallers around the league, Purdy isn’t highest-paid worthy. But that’s not how the market works. The fact is, Purdy is easily the best quarterback the Niners have found under Shanahan (who has made several questionable decisions evaluating quarterbacks) and barring a bad season, he should be in line to command a record-setting deal.
4) Give us one player on each side of the ball for the Niners that Vikings fans might not know about that you think will play a key role in the Niners’ success on Sunday.
49ers rookie right guard Dominick Puni has quickly secured a spot along a Niners offensive line that really lacks impact players outside of Trent Williams. Puni’s quick emergence as an above-average right guard would be a massive way to lessen the unit’s reliance on Williams and make up for some shortcomings elsewhere on the line. The recipe for beating the 49ers involves a lot of pressure upfront, and making Puni look like a rookie is one way to do that.
Defensively, Maliek Collins was acquired this offseason to replace Arik Armstead on the interior line. Armstead was a mainstay in San Francisco for nearly a decade and left some big shoes to fill. Collins was quietly productive throughout his career with the Texans and has a chance to take his production to the next level alongside Nick Bosa, Javon Hargrave, and Leonard Floyd.
5) Christian McCaffrey was a surprising late scratch for the Niners in the season opener and the rumors are swirling that he won’t play on Sunday, either. We saw the Niners have success against the Jets in his absence, but how much does the offense change without McCaffrey in the backfield?
Shanahan’s offense is built around creating indecisiveness in the defense. McCaffrey is a perfect piece for that because he is such a dynamic rusher and receiver. Without McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel is really the only other weapon the Niners can say that about. That’s still plenty to play around with, especially with George Kittle and Brandon Aiyuk running routes, but McCaffrey’s presence is what takes the Niners offense from elite to historic.
Thanks to Marc for taking the time to answer our questions this week!
