The San Francisco 49ers went into Minnesota as everyone's favorite playoff sleeper with the NFL's newest superstar quarterback. They left Minnesota as the latest casualty of the Vikings' Super Bowl-worthy defense with a quarterback who might have an interception problem.
On Sunday, the Vikings doused the 49ers' playoff buzz with a 24-16 win. New Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins did his part, throwing two touchdowns, and then the defense did the rest, slowing down the Garoppolo hype train with three interceptions, including one pick-six.
The beginning of the game was all about Cousins. After the two teams opened the game by exchanging punts, the Vikings got the scoring started with a field goal. On their next series, the Vikings extended their lead to 10-0 when Cousins dropped in a dime to Stefon Diggs deep down the left sideline.
The 49ers finally got on the board with a field goal. Then, after forcing a Dalvin Cook fumble, they drove downfield to the goal line, but just when it looked like they'd tie the game, the Vikings' defense came up huge with a takeaway.
Still, at halftime, the Vikings only led 10-3. For a half, the 49ers hung tough against one of the Super Bowl frontrunners.
Things unraveled in the third quarter. After 49ers tight end George Kittle dropped what likely would've been an 80-yard touchdown, Garoppolo handed the Vikings a free touchdown on the very next play.
That's Vikings first-round pick Mike Hughes checking in with his first career pick-six.
The 49ers settled for a field goal on their next red-zone series, cutting the lead to 11 points.
Cousins didn't settle. He responded with his second touchdown, this one an equally perfect strike to tight end Kyle Rudolph.
The 49ers would respond with a touchdown when Garoppolo made a spectacular spinning throw to Dante Pettis. When their defense forced a punt, hope lingered. It didn't last long. At the beginning of the fourth quarter, Garoppolo threw another pick, this time to Xavier Rhodes, who made an incredible catch to secure the errant pass.
It was a theme of the day. The 49ers, at times, could move the ball. But their failure to come up with big plays doomed them. After Garoppolo's second interception, the 49ers forced a punt and Garoppolo drove them right back down to the red zone. But on third-and-goal, he sailed a throw to an open Kittle and the 49ers had to settle for another field goal.
The 49ers got the ball back two more times with a chance to tie the game, but their comeback ended with Garoppolo's third and final interception.
.@HarriSmith22 with the exclamation on his big day. pic.twitter.com/bYD7WpCS66 — Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) September 9, 2018
It was that kind of game for the 49ers. A game that was there to steal, because the Vikings let them hang around, but a game that indicates they have some issues to sort out before they can be considered a contender in the NFC.
On the other hand, losing to a team like the Vikings in Minnesota isn't a huge deal. Isn't that what was supposed to happen? The 49ers aren't suddenly a bad team because they lost to the Vikings -- a legitimate Super Bowl contender -- by eight points in Minnesota. Sunday's game was just a reminder that the 49ers probably aren't fully there yet. It's a reminder that Jimmy Garoppolo isn't Tom Brady reincarnated. The 49ers have flaws. Garoppolo was one of them on Sunday.
From the Vikings' perspective, they've got their own issues to sort out -- namely, their offensive line. But as long as their defense remains as dominant as it was, they'll be able to beat anyone. And now, they've got Cousins under center, which gives them the ability to put up points in a hurry if the situation calls for it.
Speaking of Cousins ...
Cousins passes first test behind shaky offensive line
Cousins, the biggest free agent quarterback signing since the Broncos landed Peyton Manning, looked the part in his Vikings debut.
Behind a shaky offensive line that will likely remain the team's biggest issue (three sacks), he completed 20 of 36 passes for 244 yards, two touchdowns, no picks and a 95.1 passer rating. He made two spectacular throws for two touchdowns, but beyond that, he didn't necessarily wow anyone.
But that's OK. Because what Cousins did was avoid backbreaking mistakes -- like the ones that plagued Garoppolo. He's playing with arguably the game's best defense. What he needs to do is avoid turnovers, and play steady and consistent football, which is what he did on Sunday.
Cousins is never going to be Aaron Rodgers or Tom Brady, but so long as he's taking care of the ball, making a few big-time throws, and staying out of his defense's way, he'll be just fine. That version of Cousins makes the Vikings one of the best teams in the NFC.
Garoppolo's turnovers kill 49ers
The winning streak is over. Jimmy Garoppolo has been defeated.
Jimmy Garoppolo’s first loss as a starter since December 13, 2013 against Towson in the FCS Playoffs. — Bill Barnwell (@billbarnwell) September 9, 2018
It was a strange day for Garoppolo. He ended up going 15 of 33 for 261 yards, one touchdown, three picks, and a 45.1 passer rating. At times, he looked like the superstar of last season. His touchdown pass to Pettis was magic. These are the throws that most quarterbacks -- like Cousins -- don't often make.
The first touchdown of 2018!
49ers scoring drive: 75 yards, 7 plays resulting in the @dmainy_13 touchdown.#GoNiners pic.twitter.com/R866rorzhd — San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) September 9, 2018
But he made far too many mistakes against a defense that knows how to punish mistakes. These are the throws that Cousins avoided.
Overreacting to Week 1 performances is just as bad as overreacting to a five-game winning streak that came against inferior competition, but Garoppolo's interceptions might be a problem to worry about. He threw five picks in six appearances last season. According to Football Outsiders, Garoppolo also had "three dropped interceptions for a total of eight adjusted interceptions, a rate of 4.3 percent that would have ranked right behind Siemian, Palmer, and Gabbert among the highest in that category" last season. The Vikings didn't drop them on Sunday.
It is worth noting that Garoppolo put his receivers in a position to bring in three touchdowns, but they couldn't come down with catches NFL-caliber players are expected to make. Blaming him alone for the loss would be an overreaction. But there's room for Garoppolo and the 49ers to improve -- specifically in the red zone, where the 49ers went 1 of 4.
About that Vikings defense
The game turned in the second quarter when the 49ers saw a 14-play, 69-yard drive end with a fumble at the goal-line. If the 49ers had managed to punch the ball in, they would've tied the game at 10-10. Instead, the Vikings' two safeties combined to take the ball away.
Harrison Smith, by the way, finished with a team-high eight tackles, two tackles for a loss, one sack, one fumble recovery, and one interception. As a team, the Vikings' defense snagged three picks, four total takeaways, and three sacks.
That'll work.
DeForest Buckner breaks out
Buckner, the seventh-overall pick in 2016, has been an underrated player to this point in his career because of his low sack total (nine in two years), but he broke out on Sunday. Taking advantage of a bad offensive line, Buckner racked up 2.5 sacks.
The 49ers might've lost, but they've got a stud pass rusher who appears to be ready to explode.
Dalvin Cook looks explosive
Before an ACL tear ruined his rookie season, Dalvin Cook flashed loads of potential, giving the Vikings hope that they'd found a worthy Adrian Peterson successor. During the offseason, the Vikings talked about Cook's recovery as if it wouldn't even be a factor during the coming season.
Well, on Sunday, the season came and so did Cook.
Cook looked just as explosive as he did a year ago. They started the game by giving him four consecutive touches. There was a quick swing pass that netted nine yards. Then he picked up a short-yardage first down. On the next play, he bounced a carry to the outside for another first down.
It wasn't all great. His fumble in the second quarter, when he got caught from behind after an impressive run, nearly set up the 49ers for a touchdown before the Vikings' defense struck back with a fumble recovery of their own. He really wasn't all that effective as a runner, averaging 2.5 yards per carry. But he passed the eye test. He looked explosive.
And perhaps most importantly, he was a factor in the passing game. That's important because Cousins likes to throw short and quick, and the Vikings' offensive line isn't good enough to allow Cousins to sit back and wait for slow developing routes. He finished with 55 yards on six catches.
In all, he racked up 95 yards from scrimmage.
The 49ers' running back timeshare
In the aftermath of the Jerick McKinnon injury, Matt Breida and Alfred Morris' fantasy stocks skyrocketed. But if Sunday's game is any indication, the two of them are going to be splitting carries.
Morris carried the ball 12 times for 38 yards. Breida carried the ball 11 times for 46 yards. Neither were particularly effective, but that's not unexpected given who they were running the ball against.
49ers might have two Fantasy breakouts
Yes, Kittle dropped a huge play, but he's poised for a huge season. Kittle was Garoppolo's top target, catching five of his nine targets for 90 yards. In addition to his dropped touchdown, Garoppolo also missed him in the end zone for what would've been an easy score. Don't expect them to keep missing each other moving forward. And don't expect his targets to decrease.
Meanwhile, second-round pick Dante Pettis enjoyed a breakout game. He's the one who came down with that huge touchdown. He finished with two catches for 61 yards. He might not get a ton of targets, but he's got such big-play potential that he's probably worth a waiver claim in Fantasy.
What's next?
The Vikings head to Green Bay for a hugely important game against the Packers while the 49ers return home to host the Lions.
Live-blog
You'll find our live blog from the game below.
Adam Schefter reports the latest on the NFL's anticipated decision to not implement a new national anthem policy this season. (0:52)
The NFL is not expected to implement a new policy on the national anthem this season, league sources told ESPN, no matter how many meetings and conversations occur regarding the topic.
The new policy is going to be no policy -- at least for this season, according to sources.
Too many people have stances too strong to figure out a compromise, but an NFL official insisted Sunday morning that there is continuing dialogue on the topic as the league looks for ways to address social justice issues.
Players began sitting or kneeling during the anthem in 2016 to protest racial inequality, police brutality and other issues. The protests have become a divisive topic of debate, and the NFL and players' union still haven't said whether players will be punished this season if they choose to kneel or demonstrate during the anthem.
President Donald Trump has been a regular critic of NFL players demonstrating during the national anthem since the 2016 campaign. On Sunday, Trump said NFL ratings could decline further if players do not stand for the anthem and if television networks do not broadcast the pregame ceremony.
Wow, NFL first game ratings are way down over an already really bad last year comparison. Viewership declined 13%, the lowest in over a decade. If the players stood proudly for our Flag and Anthem, and it is all shown on broadcast, maybe ratings could come back? Otherwise worse! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 9, 2018
NBC ratings for the Atlanta Falcons-Philadelphia Eagles season opener Thursday were down 13 percent, but the kickoff was delayed by more than 30 minutes due to rain, pushing the broadcast later into the evening. NFL ratings were down 9.7 percent overall for the 2017 regular season, though Nielsen data shows that the 20 of the 30 highest-rated shows on television in 2017 were football games.
The NFL passed a new anthem policy in May, but those rules were put on hold to allow the league and union to further discuss the issue. Of the 2,880 players who were on the sidelines for preseason games this year, only two players took a knee and one sat during the anthem.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
