How the 49ers can Stop the Vikings Prolific Duo of Thielen and Diggs
Heading into the divisional round, the San Francisco 49ers defense faces a very difficult challenge with the Minnesota Vikings. Wide receivers Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs are widely considered one of the best duos in the NFL. Individually, both players would likely rank in the 15 or 20 at their position for most people.
Thielen battled injuries for the majority of the season and was unable to crack the 1,200-yard mark, which he accomplished the last couple of years, but he was very impressive last week with seven catches for 129 yards against the Saints. Meanwhile, Diggs put together arguably the best season of his career with 1,130 yards, 12.0 yards per target, and six touchdowns. Since the former Maryland Terrapin’s arrival in 2015, Travis Kelce and Tyreek Hill are the only pair of teammates to outpace the Vikings’ pass-catchers in receiving yards - 9,718 to 8,801.
Stopping or slowing down Minnesota’s aerial attack will be a large point of emphasis for defensive coordinator Robert Saleh on Saturday. The question is, how? And if the 49ers’ defensive backs are capable of stopping the prolific duo.
On the Outside
Without a doubt, the leader and best player in San Francisco’s secondary is cornerback Richard Sherman. The All-Pro put together another impressive campaign in 2019 allowing 387 receiving yards, a passer rating of 64.1 when targeted, and collected three interceptions. While the veteran is more than capable of eliminating one of the two wideouts, he can’t take care of both and rarely leaves his left cornerback spot.
With Sherman taking about 85 percent of his defensive snaps on the left side, the Vikings can easily find ways to attack the 49ers’ secondary without targeting him. That means cornerbacks Ahkello Witherspoon and Emmanuel Moseley have to step up this weekend.
While Witherspoon started the year strong, he has struggled since returning from injury. The former Colorado Buffalo finished the season allowing a passer rating of 107.3, six touchdowns, and received the lowest Pro Football Focus grade among San Francisco’s cornerbacks (minimum 100 snaps). Luckily, Moseley has fared well as a replacement.
The second-year pro surrendered a passer rating of 79.2 and two touchdowns during the regular season. Continuing this pace will be a major factor in the 49ers defensive success but he will need help. Week 15 against the Falcons was the last time Moseley squared off against a wide receiver of Thielen or Diggs’ caliber and that game was one of the defensive back’s worst performances of the year.
Safety Jaquiski Tartt is back practicing with the team and will likely play on Saturday. Regardless of who’s starting, Whitherspoon or Moseley, Saleh would be wise to use Tartt as a support system for the cornerback on the opposite side of Sherman. The former second-round pick has been effective as a “help defender” this season and the importance of that role is heightened this weekend.
At a high level, the gameplan for Saleh when Thielen and Diggs are on the outside is simple, let your future Hall of Famer shut down one and give your other cornerback safety help to take away the other. Now, the question remains of what to do when one of the wideouts moves inside?
Slot Coverage
While Thielen takes reps on the inside more frequently than Diggs, both guys are more than capable of ripping defenses apart from the slot. If teams are weak at covering interior receivers, plays like the one seen below are inevitable.
However, K’Waun Williams should be up for the task as he has put together a fantastic year for the 49ers. With a passer rating of 76.1 and one touchdown allowed when targeted, the nickel back has been one of the best at the position this season. Also, safety Jimmie Ward is having a career year and more than capable of helping cover inside wide receivers. Coupling Williams' success in slot coverage with Ward’s should give San Francisco plenty of confidence if Minnesota puts one of their superstars in the slot.
Pass Rush
All year the 49ers pass rush has been one of the best in the NFL. With Dee Ford returning to the practice field and appearing to be on track to play this weekend, the unit only gets stronger and becomes more problematic for the Vikings. To make matters better for San Francisco, the matchup should work in their favor.
In the offseason, Minnesota set out to improve its offensive line. While the team has certainly gotten better up front, there is still something left to be desired and the unit could be overmatched against San Francisco’s front four. Pro Football Focus ranks the 49ers pass rush as the third-best in the NFL, while the Vikings rank 25th in pass protection.
Taking advantage of this mismatch will dramatically improve the 49ers’ chances of slowing doing Minnesota’s passing game. Putting pressure on quarterback Kirk Cousins will limit the amount of touches Thielen and Diggs receive and thus, play a key component in stopping down their offense as a whole.
If Saleh can add some line games and blitz packages to the game plan, he shouldn’t have to worry about the back end as much. Of course, both pressure and coverage will be necessary but the former can dramatically assist the latter. Playing complimentary defense has been a big part of the 49ers' success this season and that needs to be on full display Saturday.
