The Vikings are being slept on
I think the Vikings are a little underrated. There is not much belief in Sam Darnold and I think that will soon change. I eepect the offense to move the ball and score some points and for the defense to make it very difficult for the 49ers. I think this game is closer than many expect and for the Vikings to actually be able to win.
It is interesting that Kwesi included void years in the contracts of Sam Darnold and Aaron Jones. I could see both getting extended next year and for Darnold to be the starter again.
Kwesi has done a good job getting the cap in order. He has almost all of the 2025 in-house free agents signed except for Byron Murphy and Camryn Bynum. The rest of the 2025 in-house free agents are 29 years or older and likely wont cost much if they bring them back. He might bring back Darnold and Jones though.
The Vikings currently have about 66M in effective cap space for 2025. I cannot remember the last time they had that much cap space.
Minnesota Vikings News and Links
Christian McCaffrey’s 2024 season debut will have to wait at least another week, and a stint on injured reserve is not out of the question.
The San Francisco 49ers have ruled McCaffrey out for their Week 2 game at the Minnesota Vikings while he continues to work his way back from calf and Achilles tendon injuries.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan added that McCaffrey had his worst day Thursday in terms of pain, and putting the star running back on injured reserve is now under consideration.
49ers rising star CB talks trash to Vikings QB Sam Darnold
The Minnesota Vikings got the better of their matchup against the San Francisco 49ers in 2023.
That didn’t stop 49ers cornerback Deommodore Lenoir from talking a little smack to his former teammate and Vikings starting quarterback Sam Darnold.
Lenoir after Thursday’s practice had some fun with the 49ers’ former backup quarterback during an interview in the locker room.
“Me and Sam, we had this connection,” Lenoir told reporters as he raised his hands to mimic catching a football. “He liked to throw the ball to me. So, this week we’re coming. He knows it.”
Lenoir continued with praise of his former teammate.
“I know he’s a talented player,” Lenoir said. “He’s gonna come ready to work. I know how he prepares. He gave us great looks when he played here with us. Just taking over the scout team, he was throwing dimes, so I know it’s gonna have to be tight, sticky coverage.”
Brock Purdy: Facing Vikings defense is an ‘illusion-fest’
“With Minnesota, they’re sort of an illusion-fest,” Purdy said Thursday. “They want to make it seem like they’re doing this and then post snap they’re dropping eight into every which way. They do a lot, it’s hard for us to just grasp exactly what they’re doing.”
Purdy said Flores is “one of the best in the league with disguises” and he called last year’s game against the Vikings in Minnesota a “good experience.” In last year’s matchup, the Vikings blitzed Purdy on 63.6% of his dropbacks and Purdy completed 15-of-19 attempts for 192 yards with one touchdown and one interception.
According to Pro Football Focus, Purdy led the NFL in passing yards (1,762), yards per attempt (10.2) and touchdowns (15) when blitzed in 2023. The yards per attempt statistic is shocking because the next highest against the blitz was C.J. Stroud at 8.7. That means Purdy was ripping passes for 10+ yards more often than not when he was blitzed.
“At the end, especially, it was a tight game and everything and that place was rocking,” Purdy recalled of last year’s game in Minneapolis. “For the most part, the whole game they were like that. There’s some loyal fans that they got in Minnesota. It’s a dome so it just gets loud in there and they bring it. It’s an environment where you want to go in and try to obviously do your thing to put up points and score to create momentum and keep them away from being so loud, but it’s a great environment to play in.”
49ers QB Brock Purdy Sizes Up the Minnesota Vikings Defense
Q: Obviously, Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores does a lot of blitzing and different looks they like to throw at you. What do you remember about last year and how can that kind of help you this week?
PURDY: “I don’t know, he does a lot of different looks and different things and makes you think that it’s going to be one thing and it can be that or go to something completely different. And so, he does a good job with that. I think one of the best in the league with just disguises in general. And so, last year we had obviously a whole game against him and got some really good looks from him and some tough situations that he puts you in, especially as a quarterback trying to make a decision and stuff. It was a good experience last year and there’s some things that I had to learn from. I had a year of film and stuff and this week of practice so we’re excited for it.”
Why Shanahan believes O’Connell’s Vikings offense poses problems
Kyle Shanahan is well aware that a Kevin O’Connell-led Vikings offense can cause the 49ers a headache for a second consecutive season on Sunday.
During the latest episode of NBC Sports Bay Area’s “49ers Game Plan,” which debuted Friday night, Shanahan explained to Greg Papa the similarity between O’Connell’s scheme with his and Los Angeles Rams’ Sean McVay’s, and why it poses a threat.
“Yeah, I think it’s similar, especially how the Rams were,” Shanahan told Papa. “I think the Rams have been a little different here this year in one game, with a little different running style and stuff.”
Shanahan respects that, and everything else that makes O’Connell’s offense electrifying.
“Kevin has always done a really good job,” Shanahan added. “I got a ton of respect for him.
“When you have Kevin, their system, a really good running back, a really good quarterback, as good of a receiver as there is, they can be a problem. We got our work cut out for us.”
Vikings-49ers Week 2 score predictions from the Vikings On SI staff
Will Ragatz: Vikings 24, 49ers 23
I’m doing it. I’m buying into the hype of what I saw in Week 1, even while taking into account that the Giants are a bad football team. Darnold looked poised and confident in his first game operating O’Connell’s offense, Aaron Jones looked like a difference-maker, and Flores’ defense looked like a legitimate top-8 unit in the league. Yes, the task gets much tougher this week, but I think this is a tightly-contested game. Behind a big Jalen Nailor performance and a clutch Will Reichard field goal, the Vikings get it done and move to 2-0.
Nolan O’Hara: 49ers 27, Vikings 17
Joe Nelson: Vikings 33, 49ers 27
Jonathan Harrison: 49ers 27, Vikings 20
Tony Liebert: 49ers 23, Vikings 20
Vikings Stall Contract Talks With $17 Million Starter, Insider Says
Minnesota Vikings starting cornerback Byron Murphy Jr. urged his agent to get a contract extension done before the start of the season, however, those talks appear stalled as the sixth-year corner enters a contract year in Minnesota.
KSTP’s Darren Wolfson originally reported that Murphy asked his agent to push for a deal before the start of the season.
But after the Vikings awarded Harrison Phillips with an extension following the Week 1 win over the New York Giants, the Vikings appear to have closed up shop for contract talks until next year.
On a September 12 episode of SKOR North’s “Mackey and Judd” podcast, Wolfson said that he “has not heard much” on Murphy — signaling a potential shakeup in the Vikings cornerback room next offseason.
During offseason workouts, Murphy touted his desire to stay in Minnesota.
“I was at the final day of Vikings mandatory minicamp. Had a nice conversation with cornerback Byron Murphy Jr.,” Wolfson said on a June 11 airing of “Mackey & Judd.” “I asked him, ‘Hey, you’re in a contract year?’ And he goes, ‘Yeah, I don’t want to go anywhere else.’ He was being very sincere. He wants to be here for the rest of his career. That’s how much Byron Murphy likes being a Viking.
“He has told his agent, ‘Hey, engage the Vikings, engage [Vikings executive vice president of football operations] Rob Brzezinksi, let’s see if we can work out some sort of extension before the season starts.”
Vikings rectify mistake by making move on the practice squad
On Tuesday, the Minnesota Vikings brought back one of their standout performers in training camp by re-signing wide receiver Jeshaun Jones to the practice squad and releasing second-year player Jaylin Williams.
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