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Nick Wagoner, ESPN Staff Writer
MINNEAPOLIS — Only a little over two weeks ago, the San Francisco 49ers were basking in their undefeated record and receiving all the hype after their impressive victory over the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday Night Football.
However, after Monday night’s disappointing 22-17 loss to the Minnesota Vikings, that game already feels like ancient history to the 49ers, who made multiple mistakes, including three turnovers, allowing a 60-yard touchdown just before halftime on an unexpected all-out blitz, and missing a crucial 40-yard field goal.
This loss marks their second consecutive defeat, a situation the team hasn’t faced since exactly a year ago, and it has left them with a sense of crashing back down to Earth after an impressive 5-0 start.
“The NFL has a way of humbling you at every step,” expressed defensive end Nick Bosa. He added, “Starting 5-0 gives you that confidence that we are where we need to be, but the NFL is unforgiving. It has good players, good schemes, and we’re about to face another tough opponent this week, so we need to be prepared.”
In order to regain their winning momentum, the 49ers must learn how to come out on top in games like Monday’s and their previous loss to the Cleveland Browns. Even though they struggled to play their best complementary football in these matchups, they still had opportunities to win in the closing minutes.
However, falling short in both occasions has left them frustrated, as they appear to excel when they control the game from the start, winning the first five games by an average of 19.8 points. Yet, they struggle when circumstances get more challenging.
Linebacker Fred Warner stressed the importance of being able to win different types of games, emphasizing that teams that make deep postseason runs can triumph in any situation.
“Right now, we need to find ways to win those tough, gritty games where things aren’t going our way,” Warner shared. He further stated, “Of course, we can win 30-10, but who are we really, and what do we do when we’re down and need to come back and secure a victory?”
During Monday night’s game, the 49ers had several opportunities to put themselves in a better position to secure a win. For instance, they could have put more pressure on Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins, who amassed 378 yards and two touchdowns without being sacked or heavily pressured on just 25% of his 45 dropbacks.
When the match concluded, running back Christian McCaffrey regretted his first-quarter fumble deep in Minnesota’s territory, kicker Jake Moody wished he could have converted the missed 40-yard field goal, and quarterback Brock Purdy took responsibility for his late-game interceptions that occurred when the 49ers were driving for a potential winning score.
However, the most devastating and unexpected play of the night came when the Vikings faced a third-and-6 at their 40 with only 16 seconds left and no timeouts. It seemed probable that they would opt for a short pass to set up a field goal attempt.
As an alternative, the 49ers’ defensive coordinator, Steve Wilks, called for an all-out blitz, sending seven defenders to pressure Cousins. According to Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell, Cousins recognized the blitz and audibled into a deep shot aimed at rookie wide receiver Jordan Addison.
As the ball sailed towards Addison, 49ers cornerback Charvarius Ward appeared to have secured his second interception of the night. However, Addison managed to wrestle the ball away from him and raced into the end zone for a 60-yard touchdown, extending Minnesota’s lead to 16-7.
“That play changed the game,” O’Connell commented.
Wilks’ decision to employ such an unusual strategy raised eyebrows. According to NFL Next Gen Stats, it was the first time a team executed a seven-man pass rush in the last 30 seconds of a half in opposing territory since Week 11 of the 2020 season. When asked about the call during the post-game press conference, 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan admitted that it would be a topic he would discuss with his staff in the coming days.
“We’ll go through that throughout this week,” Shanahan acknowledged. “Obviously, I didn’t like the outcome.”
The challenge for the 49ers, who were originally considered frontrunners for the Super Bowl, is only going to get more difficult moving forward. After returning home from Minnesota, they will begin preparations to face the Cincinnati Bengals, who are coming off their bye week and have secured two consecutive wins.
Following that matchup, the 49ers will have their own bye week before heading to play the Jacksonville Jaguars. They will then face a series of tough opponents, including the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Seattle Seahawks, Philadelphia Eagles, and the Seahawks once again. On paper, this stretch appears to be the most demanding part of the 49ers’ schedule and will greatly impact how seriously they are regarded as contenders.
“We can’t dwell on what has happened before this,” concluded Shanahan. He continued, “We need to ensure that from now until the game against the Bengals is over, we do everything possible to secure a win. Then we can focus on our bye week. We currently have 5½ days left, and our entire focus should be on that to head into the bye week with a 6-2 record, not 5-3.”
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