Vikings vs 49ers: What's the Game Plan for San Francisco?
The San Francisco 49ers open up their 2015 NFL campaign with a Monday Night Football contest at home versus the Minnesota Vikings on September 14 at 10:20 p.m. ET.
This game will feature the regular-season returns of two noteworthy players: linebacker NaVorro Bowman and running back Adrian Peterson. Both are looking to rebound after a lost 2014 year, and each player will have a significant role in his respective team's efforts to start 1-0 on the young season.
For San Francisco, one of the primary goals will be limiting Peterson on the ground while establishing a strong rushing attack of their own. But those aspects are only a portion of what the 49ers will try to do on Monday night.
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How are the 49ers approaching this prime-time contest? What else will factor into San Francisco's efforts as the team looks to start the regular season off on a positive note?
Offensive Game Plan
Running the ball will, once more, be at the heart of the 49ers offense in 2015. With veteran back Frank Gore no longer in the picture, second-year running back Carlos Hyde will have his chance to break out as San Francisco's featured back.
Part of the approach will be to put Hyde into positions where Minnesota's defense will be vulnerable. And this may include an emphasis on read-option plays.
Hyde averaged six yards per carry on these plays last season according to Jeff Deeney of Pro Football Focus.
Let's take a look at one example we can expect the 49ers to utilize against the Vikings. Hyde (yellow arrow) is lined up to the left of quarterback Colin Kaepernick. Notice the interior portion of the Arizona Cardinals line (red arrow).
San Francisco's offensive line opens up a gap in the center of Arizona's defense. Hyde will show a run to his right before cutting back left and attacking this gap. Notice the Cardinals defender (red circle) moving to his right to respect the possible rush—from either Hyde or Kaepernick—to that particular side.
Hyde picks up a solid gain on the play.
The Vikings allowed 1,943 rushing yards last season—No. 25 in the league. But as Ryan Sakamoto of NinerFans.com points out, Hyde may have a little difficulty moving the ball this season given Minnesota's ability to get a lot from its linebacker crop.
"#49ers RB Carlos Hyde might have some trouble as he faces a very underrated Vikings defensive front 7. LBs can run sideline-to-sideline.
— Ryan Sakamoto (@SakamotoRyan) September 8, 2015"
Minnesota's defense will look to expose San Francisco's questionable O-line, especially on the right side.
Pass-rushers like Sharrif Floyd and Everson Griffen, who combined for 16.5 sacks in 2014, should get their chances against Kaepernick.
Perhaps one way to offset this will be to get veteran tight end Vernon Davis involved in the action early and often.
Davis will no longer be asked to be the primary deep threat after the 49ers picked up wide receiver Torrey Smith in the offseason. This should, in theory, allow Davis to run more traditional tight end routes over the course of the year.
Overall, San Francisco will look to improve upon the lackluster offensive output seen in 2014. The 49ers' 306 points ranked 25th in the league. And that will need to change if head coach Jim Tomsula's team wants to contend in 2015.
Defensive Game Plan
Stopping Peterson will be at the heart of San Francisco's defense. Look for Bowman and the safety tandem of Eric Reid and Antoine Bethea to minimize the damage Peterson can do.
This group will also get help from the 49ers defensive line. D-linemen Quinton Dial, Glenn Dorsey and Ian Williams will likely be the group out there on base downs with nickel linemen Tank Carradine and Arik Armstead inserted into passing situations.
Peterson can break tackles and expose gaps that, otherwise, don't appear to be there. This puts more pressure on the 49ers' front seven to limit his gains and force quarterback Teddy Bridgewater to make plays with his arm.
Bridgewater is developing nicely after a promising rookie season in 2014. The addition of wide receiver Mike Wallace to his arsenal of receiving targets should give him added help.
Therefore, look for defensive coordinator Eric Mangini to limit the time with which Bridgewater will have to work.
Such an example of a blitz-happy defense can be seen from this preseason tweet courtesy of Oscar Aparicio of Niners Nation:
This aggressive approach—not typically seen during former DC Vic Fangio's tenure—could expose the 49ers secondary. Defensive backs Tramaine Brock, Kenneth Acker, Keith Reaser and Dontae Johnson will be under pressure to hold coverage long enough until San Francisco's pass-rushers can get on target.
Despite the turnover this offseason, San Francisco's defense looks to remain a strength and build upon the strong efforts seen in 2014.
The primary approach from this unit will be to limit Peterson and not allow Bridgewater to thrive under the pressure.
Key Matchups
Bowman and Peterson will be one of the major focuses of this contest, as stated above. Both players could easily be considered for the NFL Comeback Player of the Year award, provided they post strong seasons.
And Bowman's efforts during the preseason suggest he'll be capable of doing this.
Wallace against Brock—and the other members of San Francisco's secondary—will be another noteworthy battle to watch. Wallace was one of the key pickups for Minnesota, and Brock is coming off of a 2014 campaign in which he appeared in just three games.
Davis going up against Minnesota's linebacker and safety groups will be a matchup of impact. 49ers offensive coordinator Geep Chryst feels that Davis' 2014 efforts were not an indication of what should be expected this season.
So look for Chryst and the 49ers offense to get Davis involved in the play as early as possible.
To do so, the 49ers O-line will have to figure out a way to stop Floyd and Griffen and their pass-rushing abilities. Right tackle Erik Pears and right guard Jordan Devey will be under the microscope in this first regular-season contest.
Prediction
Monday night's bout should be a low-scoring affair, with both the 49ers and Vikings focusing on running the ball and maintaining possession.
Both Kaepernick and Bridgewater need an effective running game to establish their own unique skill sets. So the implementation of a strong rushing attack will be a critical factor in both teams' offensive efforts.
Hyde should be able to gain at least 100 yards, provided San Francisco's O-line holds its blocks. Keeping Kaepernick upright will also be paramount.
Holding Peterson to less than 100 yards will be a top goal for the 49ers defense. And one cannot overlook the critical time-of-possession and field-position battles over the course of the game.
For San Francisco, Week 1 will have to be a statement. This team needs to prove to the rest of the league they're not as bad as people think. And with tough road matchups against the Pittsburgh Steelers and Arizona Cardinals in Weeks 2 and 3, respectively, this prime-time game will afford the 49ers an opportunity to reveal their abilities on a national stage.
Look for the 49ers to come away with the victory by a score of 20-17.
All statistics, records and accolades are courtesy of Pro-Football-Reference.com and ESPN.com unless otherwise indicated.
Peter Panacy is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report, covering the San Francisco 49ers.
Follow him @PeterPanacy on Twitter.
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