What are The Athletic’s Alec Lewis and Jon Krawczynski watching for in the Vikings’ matchup against the 49ers?
Lewis: Sam Darnold gets his first major test against his former team. This is the low-hanging fruit, obviously, but it’ll be fascinating. Darnold shined in his Vikings debut last week, performing in the face of serious internal pressure.
Sunday stands as an entirely different test. Multiple times Monday night, the 49ers defense used deception to keep New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers off-balance. The 49ers defenders would roam across the field with receivers, indicating man coverage, then drop into zones, confusing Rodgers and leading to sacks.
Darnold is at his best when he’s on time in clean pockets and on the move with clear answers. Putting Darnold in these circumstances will be exponentially harder than it was in Week 1. But if head coach Kevin O’Connell and offensive coordinator Wes Phillips can do it, they’ll likely be the talk of the league come Monday.
Krawczynski: This new-look Vikings defensive line. They made a great first impression against the New York Giants, and they’ll need to be even better to throw Brock Purdy and the Niners offense out of rhythm.
This group might not have a Micah Parsons or a T.J. Watt or even a Danielle Hunter, but its depth and versatility shined in the Meadowlands. Andrew Van Ginkel, Patrick Jones II and Jonathan Greenard looked the part, and Dallas Turner showed signs of becoming that household name down the line. They were so effective that Brian Flores did not have to blitz much to create pressure on Daniel Jones.
Facing a Niners offense that has Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk and George Kittle in the passing game makes it imperative for the front to get home without a ton of help.
