5 Biggest Takeaways from Minnesota Vikings' Week 1 Loss

The start of the Minnesota Vikings' 2015 season wasn't supposed to unfold like it did Monday night in San Francisco. 

Widely expected to make a jump to contender status, the Vikings were roughed up early and often in an ugly 20-3 loss to the 49ers in the regular-season opener. 

Minnesota had problems in all three phases of the game. The offense managed just one scoring drive, the defense had no answer for sophomore running back Carlos Hyde, and kicker Blair Walsh continued to make every field-goal attempt an adventure. 

There's good news: The 2015 season is 16 games, not just one. Monday night wasn't a good look for the Vikings, but there's plenty of time for this dark-horse contender to figure things out. 

In the following slides, we'll take a look at the five biggest takeaways from Minnesota's Week 1 loss to the 49ers. 

There Are Still Issues Stopping the Run

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No team gave up more rushing yards in Week 1 than the Vikings, who were shredded by Carlos Hyde and the 49ers' downhill running game. By the time the dust finally settled Monday night, San Francisco had rushed for 230 yards on 39 carries, plus two Hyde touchdowns. 

"They were obviously the more physical team," veteran linebacker Chad Greenway said, via Mark Craig of the Star-Tribune. “There’s no other way to slice it. It was embarrassing. They were lining up and pretty much doing the same thing. We just couldn’t stop it."

The Vikings had similar problems stopping the run last season, when they finished 25th in the NFL in run defense. But even in 2014, the Vikings never gave up more than 178 yards in a single game. 

The 49ers simply outmuscled the Vikings, using tight end-heavy formations and power lead runs to overwhelm the Minnesota front. And once Hyde had the football in his hands, he almost always made the first tackler miss. 

According to Pro Football Focus, the Vikings missed 14 tackles—with Hyde forcing eight of the whiffs. 

Mike Zimmer—a defensive coach with philosophies deeply rooted in stopping the run first—wasn't pleased.

"We didn't get off the blocks defensively," Zimmer said, via Ben Goessling of ESPN.com. "We got cut a bunch of times. We were out of our gaps. It was a disappointing effort."

The suddenly 0-1 Vikings face the Detroit Lions and San Diego Chargers over the next two weeks. Neither is a dominant running team, but Detroit's Ameer Abdullah and San Diego's Melvin Gordon are young runners capable of gashing through the same holes Hyde made easy work of Monday night. 

The Offensive Line Is a Problem

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The Vikings had a shaky-looking offensive line with John Sullivan and Phil Loadholt available. Minus the two starters Monday night, Minnesota got a scary look at just how poor the offense could be up front for most of 2015. 

According to Pro Football Focus, Teddy Bridgewater was under pressure on 14 of his 39 dropbacks. He took five sacks and rarely looked comfortable, especially when San Francisco brought an extra blitzer. Three of the 49ers' five sacks came off a blitz look. 

The Minnesota run game produced just 71 yards on 17 attempts, with Adrian Peterson providing only 31 yards on 10 rushes. 

The problems seem to be compounding Monday night, with an inability to move the football via the run on early downs setting up bad down and distances for Bridgewater and the passing game. San Francisco often brought pressure on third down, and the Vikings struggled to keep the pocket clean. 

One game is just one game. The 49ers' front seven is probably underrated, especially with breakout star Aaron Lynch coming on as an edge-rusher. But it's difficult to see how the Vikings are going to get considerably better along the offensive line.

Few teams have less talent left to right than Minnesota's five of Matt Kalil, Brandon Fusco, Joe Berger, Mike Harris and T.J. Clemmings. What you saw Monday night might be what you get for the better part of the 2015 season. 

LB Anthony Barr Is an Emerging Star

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The Minnesota defense did not provide many encouraging signs Monday night, but one was undeniably linebacker Anthony Barr. 

Last year's first-round pick, Barr was all over the field during the first game of his sophomore season, providing more hope that the Vikings found a legitimate star in the former UCLA standout. 

On the field for every defensive snap, he combined to make a team-high 12 tackles, including Minnesota's only tackle for a loss. He also hurried Colin Kaepernick on a blitz and tipped a pass that was nearly intercepted. According to Pro Football Focus, six of his tackles were considered "stops," or a tackle constituting an offensive failure. 

Barr showed signs of stardom during his rookie season. None of that optimism was dimmed Monday night, despite the struggles around him. Barr looks like one of the more dynamic young linebackers in the game. 

Blair Walsh Is a Liability

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Blair Walsh is really starting to test the Vikings' confidence in the young kicker. 

With a chance to give Minnesota an early lead in the first quarter Monday, Walsh pushed his first attempt of 2015 wide right—continuing a problem dating back to last season. 

The 25-year-old finished 2014 making just five of his final 10 attempts. He then missed six field goals and an extra point during the preseason.

Walsh's early miss had an immediate effect. Instead of trying another field goal later in the first half, Mike Zimmer decided to go for it on fourth down. The Vikings turned it over on downs. 

Walsh eventually hit a 37-yard kick to start the fourth quarter, but even that attempt just barely sneaked inside the right upright. 

The Vikings could afford him working through his issues in August. Not now. Missing kicks in games that matter is already changing how Minnesota goes about its business. His confidence clearly shaken, Walsh must be considered a liability. 

One Game Is Just One Game, or Is It?

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Over-reaction is never more widespread than after Week 1. That same warning applies to this Vikings loss. 

It's difficult to win on the road in the NFL, and the 49ers were probably sick and tired of hearing how their gutted roster was about to tank in 2015. Throw in six months of hype for the Vikings, and maybe the confidence level in Minnesota going to San Francisco and leaving with a win shouldn't have been so high. 

Then again, the Vikings appear to have issues that won't be easy to correct on the fly. 

Minnesota's offensive line will probably have problems for most of the season, and now 30 other teams know how to punch the Vikings defense in the nose with the run game. Maybe John Sullivan will return and provide the glue for the line, and you'd think Mike Zimmer will find a way to get the front seven to play the run better. But for now, these are legitimate worries that could torpedo Minnesota's season. 

One game is just one game. But in terms of season debuts, Minnesota's probably couldn't have gone any worse.