Three Keys to Victory for the 49ers Against the Vikings

It took five years for the San Francisco 49ers to finally host a playoff game since moving to Levi's Stadium.

After what has been a dominant season for the red and gold, they will now get to test their mettle in do-or-die divisional playoff game. A game that will prove an uphill battle to win with the Minnesota Vikings coming into town. The Vikings are coming off of a shocking, yet impressive win over the New Orleans Saints. A win that no one foretold entering wild card weekend.

It was a combination of elite running by Dalvin Cook and Kirk Cousins making big time throws when he needed it. The Vikings will not be an easy outing for the 49ers. It makes the first-round bye that they are coming off of that much more beneficial. In order for the San Francisco 49ers to advance to the NFC championship game, they must execute a few steps.

Here are three keys to victory for the 49ers against the Vikings.

Make Dalvin Cook Irrelevant

The staple of Minnesota’s offense is establishing the run with Dalvin Cook. Against the Saints last week, Cook ran for 84 yards in the first half. They just could not find an answer for him, until they made second half adjustments. Despite being put in check in the second half, the threat of Cook was already imprinted for the game.

The 49ers must not allow that to happen and should sell out for the run in some cases. The defensive line will need to get off of their blocks quickly as well as the linebackers filling the running lanes. This is where the overall speed on defense will aid them in stopping Cook because the Vikings love to run stretch plays with him. Great speed is critical to ensuring he does not break one loose.

Of course, the Vikings could fire back with some play-action bootlegs. San Francisco’s defense predominantly plays a style of cover-3. So the play-action could leave the middle wide open. That is why making Cook irrelevant is crucial. Not only will it lessen the chance of falling for the play-action, but it will force Kirk Cousins to pass more often.

That is exactly what he had to do against the Saints when Cook was bottled up. The only issue was that the Saints couldn’t muster sufficient pressure to make him uncomfortable. Luckily for the 49ers, they have a significantly better array of talented pass rushers. Cousins should be matching his jersey by the end of this game, which transitions to the second keys to victory.

Pass Rush Needs to hit Cousins Early and Often

It goes without saying that an adequate pass rush will almost always increase the likelihood of winning a game. However, with Cousins it’s essential that the 49ers get to him early and often. Even if it isn’t for a sack, they must make their presence felt. Cousins has been known to take the conservative route when he knows the pressure is getting to him. Doing so will cause him to get tight at times or even for the whole game.

It’ll also negate any explosive plays in the passing game that the Vikings like to go to with Stefan Diggs and Adam Thielen. Best case scenario is that the 49ers force him into an errant throw or cause a forced fumble. With Dee Ford set to make his return, the 49ers should not have too much of an issue rattling his cage against an average pass protecting offensive line.

Since the month of December rang in, the 49ers have been horrendous at finishing their pressures. Meaning they haven’t racked up sufficient sacks. Ford is the missing ingredient to making the pass rush come alive again. By bottling up Dalvin Cook and forcing Kirk Cousins to throw more often, it’ll throw off the entire Vikings offense.

49ers Offensive Line Needs to Keep Garoppolo Clean

Generating pressure and finishing is a key for the 49ers’ defense. That is exactly what the Vikings are aiming to do when they lineup across the 49ers on Saturday. With Everson Griffen and Danielle Hunter, arguably the two best defensive ends in the game, Minnesota will want to keep that timer in Jimmy Garoppolo’s head under a few seconds.

That is because the cornerbacks of the Vikings are their weak spot. Garoppolo can easily pick them apart at a depleted position to put up a plethora of points. The pressure of the offense’s success falls on the offensive line to keep Garoppolo clean. He will not be able to stand and deliver throws to exploit Minnesota’s weakness if he’s getting hammered on every drop back.

Luckily for the 49ers, Joe Staley and Mike McGlinchey have done an excellent job in the last four games. The real concern will be at the interior of the offensive line. Hunter and Griffen are known to swing inside to get past the bulkier, slower guards. All eyes should be on Laken Tomlinson, Ben Garland and Mike Person to keep the inside solidified so that Garoppolo can gash the Minnesota defense.