49ers vs. Vikings divisional playoff preview

Posted By on January 9, 2020

Minnesota Vikings tight end Kyle Rudolph (82) pulls in the game winning touchdown pass over New Orleans Saints cornerback P.J. Williams (26) during overtime of an NFL wild-card playoff football game, Sunday, Jan. 5, 2020, in New Orleans. The Vikings won 26-20. (AP Photo/Brett Duke)

Check out my video breakdown of the Minnesota Vikings’ strengths and weaknesses.

And check out this video of Kendrick Bourne dancing during Thursday’s practice.

This article has 133 Comments

  1. Looks like Shanny’s game plan will incorporate plays to isolate Barr in coverage. Leads me to believe Coleman may have a big day, since he’s the best pass catching RB.

    Saleh better take Cook off the board on his way to rattling Cousins. If Ford holds up, I think they’ll overwhelm their offensive line and Captain’s Kirk Log will be rife with disaster….

    1. Kyle’s presser transcript:

      Why have you stuck with RB Tevin Coleman as your starting running back?

      “Because Tevin brings a lot to our game. I know he hasn’t had the same yards-per-carry as [RB] Raheem [Mostert] has done. I don’t really care much who the starter is. All those guys play. Raheem has got the bulk of it. Usually, in my opinion, the guy who gets the bulk of the carries is usually the guy we call the starter because we’re treating him as the starter. If he’s not out there the first play, I know no one else calls him the starter because that’s what matters, I guess, to be called a starter. Tevin started out that way this year. I think he handles it very well. I think Raheem is very comfortable in his situation when he comes in and doesn’t have a problem with it. There’s a different element to all of them. I do like having Tevin out there because the way he hits holes, he brings a little different physicality to the game. But, I like what all our backs do.”

            1. I don’t have to, but I like to ?

              But I can understand the frustration as of late. Still, Coleman is too good a player to call for his benching. Just google some of his other scoring runs this year, pretty amazing. How soon we forget.

      2. I’m actually getting quite pissed off that Breida is not in the game over Coleman. Can anyone tell me why the hell this is not happening?

        1. Mostert is just playing better than Brieda, and showing better ball security. So Kyle is going more with the hot (and secure) hand for now. Brieda will get his chances. Kyle chooses the plays and then picks the RB who he thinks will best execute those plays. Coleman is the most experienced and versatile of the backs in Kyle’s book.

          1. Breida was last seen playing Special Teams, though no one seems to have noticed. Still it feels as though he’s being hidden for some reason, other than the fumble. Maybe he’s the X factor tomorrow…

            1. I’m wondering if the 49ers just want to keep Breida’s asking price down if he wants to hit the open market. That being said, I can’t imagine that they’d bottle him up if they thought he could really help.

        2. Over the regular season, Coleman and Mostert had 137 carries each while Matt Breida had 123. Pretty evenly divided leaving them relatively fresh for post-season.

  2. Strengths? Against what completion?
    Seems they’re the media darlings of the week.
    And of Ford goes and is healthy. They will be a forgotten “darling” come Sunday.
    Sorry you can break down their good plays all you want.
    I’ve watched them all season. And not once did they impress me until last week.
    They are a spitting image of the Carolina Panthers pre SF game.
    Led the lead in sack, QB was hot, running back was best in the league, blah blah blah
    Sorry y’all like GB I’m just not buying the hype of this team.
    Highlights don’t show a whole season, their record vs playoff teams does.
    Shut down their run, and their toast.
    If they try to take deep shots. They’re toast!
    No way their front 4 is getting a lot of pressure with misdirections and moving Jimmy.
    They struggle on stopping the run on the ends, that’s where SF excels.
    They can’t cover Kittle. He killed them last year. Jimmy isn’t throwing 3 picks this time, and they are not at home.

    Two weeks to prepare for this team, with two weeks of rest. If the 49ers are winning the super bowl, they are beating this team with no doubt with the final score.
    31-17 Niners.

    2. I’m with you md, I’m not getting the Viking love either. Swept by the Packers? Swept by the Bears? Cousins had one game where he finally got out of his own way, and now they are going to roll though the rest of the playoffs? But wait, don’t forget 1987. Yeah right.

      I also see a Niners vs Carolina, Niners vs Packers type outcome.

    3. MD,
      I got you! Vikings are the flavor of week. Cousins had the best game of his life last week beating the Saints. That means that he will need to top that against the 49ers.
      Ain’t hat’nin!

  3. Dan Bunz will be in the house. The Cowboy is coming down from his farm in Missouri to party with his alumni teammates — hosted by Hitner. Alex Boone may fly down from Minnesota, too. Levi’s will be rocking..

  4. Nice breakdown. Still, with some tech support, Grant could have every play sorted out ahead of time, and set in chronological order. Things would flow smoother.
    .
    However, the content was illuminating. I like how he selects from past games, not just the most recent ones.
    .
    I agree, the Vikings do not have any glaring weaknesses, and they are well coached. It sure is telling, to see how teams steal plays from each other. This is truly a copycat league.
    .
    Interesting. Grant has a 3 point difference, Niners 24-21.
    .
    I hope for a 2 TD lead, but expect a Niners 24-23 score.

      1. You know it’s bad when he looks like Norm, talks like Cliff, and is annoying like Carla atop his riding mower.

        1. Ed, his uxorious writing makes it the real Seb.
          And 24-23 seals the deal.
          No one else would be able to come up with that kind of brilliant prediction!

          1. The writing style, punctuation usage, word choice, etc. indicate it is not really sebnyah. And the 24-23 prediction is the joke prediction that the fake Seb has been using for some time. Or make that fake Sebs–there are at least two fakes with distinctly different punctuation usage and word choice patterns.

            And yes, I probably need a better hobby, but the efforts which are being taken to fake sebnyah are fascinating, as is watching other posters react to what seem to me to be obvious sham posts.

            1. I must be living in your head.
              .
              Why do I predict 24-23? I hope the Niners may score fewer times, but score more points. I hope the Niners win, even if by only one point. This is why I want them to go bold, score TDs, and not settle for field goals. I have generally been consistent with this prediction, so my catfish is just mimicking me. Low hanging fruit. Anyone can copy and repeat, but I say things that make posters go ballistic, and some have never thought before.
              .
              I will concede that this catfish can parrot well, but he is just trying too hard. Remember, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.

              1. Not convincing.

                Anyone can copy and repeat, but I say things that make posters go ballistic, and some have never thought before.

                This is a dead giveaway for reasons the real sebnyah would understand but you will not. His comments are usually superficial but quite often precise in structure and wording.

              3. Actually, I thought it was known (although maybe not to the original sebnyah) that Gadfly became my vehicle for needling sebnyah a little. That is why Gadfly has been gone so long–I did not see the point in continuing to needle someone who could never understand
                why he was being needled in the first place. Gadfly came back when I became convinced most (if not all) of the Sebs currently posting were not the original. :)

                Also, I have fun writing as Gadfly, with his over the top.style and penchant for left-handed compliments.

          2. It’s CLEARLY not the original sebnyah. I think he’s said ‘forget it’ with all the catfish and is long gone. Plus it was never written Seb …he wrote it sebnyah

            1. No. my son changed things up for me, but told me that it is easy to corrupt this blog site. I had previously stated that I would follow other poster’s advice, and change my avatar, but everyone can see that my catfish is persistent.
              .
              Like Grant is known as Iggy, I am addressed as Seb.

              1. I had previously stated that I would follow other poster’s advice, and change my avatar…

                The comma between ‘advice’ and ‘and’ is superfluous here. One of the fake Sebs uses this superfluous comma in compound predicates quite frequently, but the real sebnyah did not.

              3. Sorry, the comma is used as a dramatic pause, but maybe you are hypersensitive to grammar.
                .
                Jeez, I get flak for run on sentences, now too many commas.

              4. Must be the fake JPN too.

                “other poster’s advice,”

                Should be either ‘an other poster’s advice’ or ‘other posters’ advice’
                The real researcher JPN would have tripped over that right away.

              5. No one is more hypersensitive to grammar in its broadest definition (word form, syntax, spelling, and punctuation (the latter two of which are not technically grammar)) than the real sebnyah.

                But that is a red herring anyway. The real issue is not whether the usage is ungrammatical. Rather, the issue is that you consistently use a superfluous comma with coordinating conjunctions joining compound predicates and the real sebnyah
                does not (or did not) do so.

              6. I did notice that, Dee, but the comma issue is characteristic of this particular fake Seb, so I focused on it as a diagnostic.

              7. LOL. Any Viking fans surfing this site are probably wondering WTH? with all this grammar, punctuation and syntax posts!

              8. Oh my JNP, if I read you correctly, you are insinuating that it’s I who is the notorious catfish! What a sweet underhanded compliment, coming from you! To assume that I am that clever and witty is really flattering and utterly brilliant!
                .
                It would definitely irk the real Seb!

              9. Interesting, posters are quibbling over semantics and punctilious punctuation, yet the Niners are poised to engage in a titanic struggle, over this first playoff game.
                .
                I must say, I have elevated the Grammar around here. Posters used to spew misspelled and poorly worded diatribes and screeds, but now, the whole tone has elevated, and posters are properly using the King’s English in an intelligible manner.
                .
                I am not afraid to make a mistake. I will admit to it, and try to correct it when it is pointed out. I do proofread my posts, but some things still slip through.
                .
                Back to this game.
                .
                I hope JG is deceptive. I would like to see some pump fakes and fake pitches. Looking off the safety will make his job easier. JG needs to show some of that Patriot Mojo, and lead the Niners to scoring TDs, and winning playoff games.
                .
                I hope KS activates Jeff Wilson Jr. He has touched the ball 30 times, and has 5 TDs.
                .
                Maybe the Niners should use 6′ 8″ Levine Toilolo like the Vikings utilize Kyle Rudolph. He should be able to high point the ball in the end zone.
                .
                Use 22 personnel, and utilize Dwelley as a mismatch pass receiver. The Vikings will double Kittle, so use him at times as a decoy, and blocker. He will help the Niners win, so he will be happy, and excel in any role they give him. I hope to see some pancake blocks.
                .
                One player who I hope has a good game, is Solomon Thomas. This is the game to live up to his number 3 status, so I would like for him to get a sack, and maybe a couple TFL plays.
                .
                If Witherspoon does not look back and track the ball, and he gives up a TD, I hope the Niners do a shrewd assessment, and quick adjustment, with Moseley.
                .
                Bring on Tartt, Ford and Kwon slowly, so they can accentuate their strengths and hide their weaknesses. Keep them fresh.
                .
                I truly believe that the Niners should just line up a RB deep in the I, with Juice lead blocking, and let him build up a head of steam, before attacking the weakness in the line. By the 4th quarter, the Niners may wear them down. Use Breida, Mostert, Coleman and Wilson, in a tag team fashion, to wear out the tacklers.
                .
                JG needs to be balanced. I do think that the Viking secondary is suspect, but establishing a run will make the Play Action Pass more effective.
                .
                Zimmer will look at the Rams tape, and roll out Cousins a lot. The Niner need to guard against that, and their defensive speed should be able to counter that.
                .
                I am jumping for joy. The Niners are relevant again. We should all be thanking KS for coaching them to wins. We should thank JL for assembling a talented squad with depth. JL has established that winning culture, and it is nothing short of a miracle, to go from 4-12 to the top seed in the NFC.
                .
                I would also thank Jed for laying low, and letting JL and KS to do their job. I think he is learning, and becoming more mature.

              10. Dee,

                The response with the bold ‘you’ was directed at the imposter Seb who posted above you. At this level of the response tree, it is difficult to determine to which prior post a response is directed. Besides, based on your posts over the years, I would think you have better things to do with your time than try to imitate sebnyah. Thus, I would not suspect you. Of course, I could be wrong.

          3. ux·o·ri·ous
            /əkˈsôrēəs,ˌəɡˈzôrēəs/
            having or showing an excessive or submissive fondness for one’s wife.

            ???

  5. Aaaaaaand just like that Ford is now “questionable” to play Saturday.

    If he feels like he did in New Orleans before the game he’s not playing to avoid tweaking the hammy again.

    Sigh, feels like we got fleeced out of a 2nd round draft pick.

    Isn’t it ironic how Dee Ford is living up to be everything we feared Nick Bosa would be.. in a bad way???!?!

    I’m listening to Alanis Morrisette on repeat right now. ??‍♂️

    1. D.Ford has an issue…..hes injury prone! But if he didnt have said issue…..hed be the best pure pass rusher in the league!!! The speed the guy possesses of the edge is unmatched in this league plain and simple!! there are guys that are better all round edge players…( Miller, Mack)……and they would command 2-3 1st rounders and even more $$!!!!!
      D.Ford IS THE GUY THAT MAKES THAT D GO FROM REALLY GOOD TO GREAT!!! At the price of a 2nd round pick……its a bargain!!!! Sure, hes unlikely to ever play 16 games in a year…..and yes, he might not be a 3 down guy…..but it is what it is! Hes the rolex watch……you better own a nice home and have a couple of cars ( solid D in general, other pass rushers that defend the run) hes the icing on the cake…..the champagne after a nice meal…..

      We can win without him…….but with him……its not even fair! were dominant!!! Anyone who regrets or dislikes D.Ford is simply one of those “whiner” fans!!!
      Its like complaining that the hot model girl dosent cook or clean!!!!!! SMH

      1. What a moronic statement.

        2nd round picks aren’t worthless, as you’re seeing with Deebo this year.

        This is the playoffs- it Ford can’t play it IS a big deal. This is essentially why you paid a 2nd round draft pick and a sizable contract- to win important games. He simply hasn’t played in important games. Dude has been down for pretty much every big game down the stretch.

        What good is a supermodel if she’s never up for a good f#%k!

    2. We haven’t seen the last of Dee Ford. Once the 49ers dispose of the vikings Ford will make his presence known in the next two games.

  7. your missing the entire point! if the guy wasnt injury prone……hed NEVER had been traded at all!!!!! this 2nd round pick will be around 60!!!!!!!! its not 3 #1’s!!!!!!!! hell probably play this week……and if we advance….hell surely be around for the NFCCG and SB!!!!!! your whining about nothing…….and your reading comprehension is poor to say the least! The analogy i made about the supermodel is the exact opposite of what you interpreted……the SM IS GOOD FOR A F%#@ as you put it!!!!!! only a fool would complain that she dosent COOK OR CLEAN!!!

    we got JG and Ford for 2nd round picks……
    Ward, Armstead,Garnett, Solomon Thomas, Alex Smith, Aj Jenkins were all 1st round picks……
    You see the point???!!!!
    even 1st round picks have more than a %50 chance of being a bust……
    2nd round picks, at best , usually become just decent players…….
    Trading 2nd round picks for proven studs is why we were 13-3……. id do it all day!!! the draft is a crap shoot…..not an exact science!!!!!
    You can draft bust in the early rounds…….and studs late……you can whiff on entire drafts……like when Baalke did after he didnt wanna pay th price to move up for OBJ……
    URFA might end up being better than most your draft picks in a given year……

    theres a reason the saying goes ” a bird in the hand is worth 2 in the bush”

    1. for the research guys/ gals……..what impact edge rushers have been taken picks 58-64 in recent drafts…….if a list is assembled……we could see the caliber of player, best case scenario, we missed out on for D.Ford and continue this argument

        1. kendall jenner……your a moron plain and simple…..you make my point for me without having the intelligence to realize it!!!! Trading 2nd round picks for proven commodities IS WISER than hoarding them as if your guaranteed to draft a HoFer lmao!
          Its hard arguing with ppl like you…..you clearly dont even watch the games!!!! ive watched every snap this year!!…….this is the same D as last year with 3 key additions…..Bosa, Ford and Kwon!!!!!
          adding Bosa and Ford transformed this D for 1 simple reason…….
          We have 3 pass rushers now…..that MUST be double teamed!!!!!!! Thats Bosa, Ford and Buckner since you probably still have no clue!!!
          But the thing is……its almost impossible to to double team 3 pass rushers!!!!!!!! you see my boy…..theres only 5 Olinemen!!!!!!!! So you would have to chip with a rb or TE on every play………….BUT THEN YOUR NOT EVEN BLOCKING ARMSTEAD AT ALLLLLLLL!!!!!!
          THIS IS WHY AA HAD A CAREER BEST 10 SACKS…….all in the 11 games Ford played!!!
          This is why Bosa had 7 of his 9 sacks in the 11 games Ford played!!!!
          Ford only had 6.5 sacks this year…….but hes responsible for a whole lot more!!!! How can you not see that??!!!
          This D was on its way to being one of the all time greats B4 injuries set in…….
          were about to win #6……everything has went perfect for us this year…….and you guys are still “whining”!!!!
          Sad
          yes, i said perfect…..and that is taking into account injuries……
          you see….if not for injuries decimating our D…..would the offense have ever had to step up and carry the team?? No, they wouldnt have……they would not be battle tested!!!! They would not have grown as they have…….they would not have taken the next step!!!
          sometimes our biggest victories are disguised as our greatest defeats!!!!! Like last year…..if JG dosent blow out his knee……we dont end up w Bosa……we probably pick in the 20’s…….

          Personally…..one of the best things that ever happened to me in my life…..was getting layed off in 2007 …….and backing out of a deal to buy my first house! I would have been upside down on that loan within months….instead i bought twice the house in 2012 for 1/3rd the price…….and ended up with 2 great jobs that ive held since!

          1. You write like OneNiner. …… …….. …….

            Maybe it’s Morse Code, I don’t know.

            It’s impossible to read your nonsense, so I’ll just skip it.

            Moron.

            1. this clown …… nothing says i win more than a guy skipping anything to do with football and jumping to personal insults and acting as the grammar police! Dbag….get a life! stay of a football blog if you know little to nothing and all you want to do is b!@$ and complain! clown @$$ whiner fan!
              You proved 2 things…..you dont watch the games ( or you wouldnt be complaining about acquiring D. Ford)
              and you dont even read comments that you comment on ( you agreed with my point without being smart enough to realize it…..very odd)
              your one of those guys thats been pushed around your whole life, never had the footballs to stand up for yourself……so you get on the internet and attack ppl while remaining anonymous!!!!!
              Your the definition of a loser!!

  8. I was excited to see this video but it was almost unwatchable. This particular video was disjointed, and just sloppy. I recommend checking out John Chapman’s video breakdowns on this matchup for those interested, they are smoother and easier to follow.

  9. I had a dream – I saw KShanny calling on his dad to come join him on the stage with the SuperBowl throphy…..

    1. I had a … . dream you ….. … …. ……… and ‘j’ learned .. ………how to ….. .. …….. write like grown men……. …. .. ……..

  11. Potent running game, dangerous receivers, solid defense, excellent pass rush, ballhawking secondary… it won’t be close…
    30-17 Vikes

  12. 1. We played the Vikes last year and lost 24-16. it was a much closer game than he score would indicate
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AIa4uCtxqk8
    2. There were two very bad offensive turnovers which cost the niners the game. 4:15 Alfred Morris fumbles at the 1 yard line. 5:54 Jimmy throws pick six because Bourne fell down during route.
    3. Since that game we have added Deebo , Sanders and Mostert into our offense which is a significant upgrade.
    4. On D we added Bosa, Kwon and hopefully Ford will be active.
    5. The point of concern is Witherspoon who gave up a TD to Diggs at 2:02.
    6. Let’s hope Saleh isn’t slow to pull the trigger on EMan if necessary.
    7. After the Atlanta game I predicted 5-0 remainder the year. Holding up and sticking with it.
    8. Niners 31 Vikes 17

  13. It seems like everywhere but in this comment section the Niners are still getting no respect. Which is on par with the whole season to this point.
    Is it just because people can’t wrap their heads around how much they’ve turned it around from last year?
    Jimmy G could throw for 500 yards, 6 TD’s, 0 INT’s and the following week the headline would be “Is Jimmy good enough to get the job done?”

    2. This whole league has parity, and it is hard to win. The last 5 games have had a point differential of 20 points.
      .
      The Niners have won many close games, with only a few blowouts. Any given Sunday. This last game against the Seahawks showed that this is a game of inches.
      .
      I will continue to be cautiously optimistic, and hope for a win, but if the Niners start believing the press clippings, they will become complacent, and it will set them up for a punch in the mouth. I peruse the other Niner sites, but am glad Grant is keeping it real. Sure, it is a miracle to go from 4-12 to the top seed in the NFC, but that will all come crashing down unless the the Niners play smart, focused, disciplined and in control.
      .
      I am merely pointing out the pitfalls, and how to avoid them. I want the Niners to win with every fiber of my soul, but those who think this game will be easy, are delusional. Playing either the Packers or the Seahawks would have been easier, but we must thank the Vikings for upsetting the Saints. However, the Saints went 13-3, so they are not chump change. Therefor, the Vikings must be really good, with really good coaches.
      .
      Thankfully, the Niners have JG, who knows how to win. I do not expect him to be perfect, but hope he makes less mistakes than Cousins. If the Niners play up to their potential, they should win, but I also remember the Falcons game.
      .
      GO NINERS !!!!!!

      2. *fewer (not ‘less’)

        ‘Less’ is used with mass nouns (e.g., ‘less money’; ‘less time’; ‘less intelligence’; etc.). ‘Fewer’ is used with count nouns (e.g., ‘fewer mistakes’; ‘fewer narcissistic posts; ‘fewer banal rants’; etc.). My dear, absent friend The Seb would never allow such a stylistic infelicity to stain his prodigious verbosity.

        2. So desperate. Fixating on an adjective.
          .
          Less means fewer.
          .
          Posters who cannot tell me from my catfish, just do not have a clue.

          3. That fake Seb is a regular Rich Little, Sebs–he has your syntax, your wording down to a T. He’s good.
            You should be flattered………..

  14. TomD says:
    January 9, 2020 at 10:30 am
    “The 49ers this season allowed 169 net yards per game through the air, the fewest since the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2008, and the fifth-fewest since 2006.

    Despite turning 31 in March and coming off a Achilles tear in 2017, Sherman led the all cornerbacks in yards per coverage snap at 0.44, according to scouting service Pro Football Focus. The metric is a broad measurement of cornerback efficiency, while his 46.8 passer rating when targeted

    Asked what makes Sherman such an effective cornerback at his age?
    It’s all a product of his immense study habits and photographic memory, which also helped him get a 4.1 GPA at Stanford.”

    Matt says:
    January 9, 2020 at 1:01 pm
    I don’t know how much you should credit Sherman here. The easier target has been lined up opposite him. Witherspoon has been just terrible. There isn’t a reason to attack Sherman when on the opposite side you simply have an uncovered receiver.
    When the pash rush evaporated so did Witherspoon.

    REPLY: Sherman’s metric was identical when Moseley replaced Witherspoon.

    How long could any cornerback cover his man w/o a pass rush.

    How long could Hall of Famer, Deion Sanders cover Jerry Rice w/o a pass rush?

    Below, a video shows 49er WR taylor burning Deion Sanders W-I-T-H a pass rush.

    https://vimeo.com/14533761

  15. B.C. Lions lose standout defender Chris Edwards to NFL
    The 27-year-old defender is now free to sign with San Francisco 49ers

    SCOTT BROWN Updated: January 7, 2020
    Montreal Gazette

    1. The Niners passing game has been one of the best in the league over the last month and a half of the season. They are second in success rate since Week 11

      Niners Nation

  16. I’m looking at the Vikings regular season and they were a combined 1-5 against teams with a winning record with their only victory coming against a 9-7 Philadelphia team.

    I also see they punched above their weight and beat New Orleans in the Super Dome.

    It’s more than likely they’ll regress back to their mean. I just can’t see them not having their season long bad behaviors catch up to them on a short week against the top seed in our house. Especially because they haven’t performed as well as we have in tough games against top teams (all season). We’re battle tested, they’re just getting there.

    49ers win by 8.

  17. I’m not tired of winning. I want to keep on winning, and I want no injuries. Feels great, baby!

  18. INTERESTING:
    * Seattle has lost eight straight games played in Green Bay, including a pair of postseason losses. The previous time the Seahawks won on the Packers home field, Mike Holmgren was the head coach, Jon Kitna was the quarterback and Y2K had yet to arrive.

  20. Niners are lucky. They have Emmanuel Moseley, Richard Sherman and especially JG, as players who have experience on SB winning teams. Joe Staley has experience playing in the last Niner SB. Also, Dee Ford, Tevin Coleman, Levine Toilolo and Jordan Matthews have post season experience. They will impart good advice, and keep the young players grounded.
    .
    This game is huge. Everything is magnified. Thankfully, the Niners have confident, savvy leaders, and coaches who will prepare them properly.
    .
    This game will come down to who wants it more. The Niners are not hungry for a win, they are starving for a win.

    1. Ha! Can’t say I’m surprised. I thought he was being over evaluated for the position. At least we’ll have more continuity next year, but I hope he’s got some new wrinkles for this game that creates some turnovers….

      1. Yeah, Haslam and co. probably wanted to calibrate the defensive ideas of the offensive-minded candidates to Saleh’s. Good experience for Saleh.

    2. Will be fun to see where all these luminaries (names on the narrowed Browns HC list, and Saleh…) are 10 years from now.

  22. Many “experts” are picking the Vikings (NFL.com, ESPN) to beat the 49ers in a close game. Is there a #1 seed who has gotten less respect than the Niners? Through out the year the “experts” have said and written that the Niners haven’t beaten anyone or they loss close games or they are lucky.
    It is possible the Vikings will win this game. It is more likely the Niners will win. If the Niners can get a lead in the first half and the defense stays health and plays like they are capable this will be a cake walk. Even if they get behind, they can win. This team does not quit and they don’t panic.
    Even if the 49ers beat the Vikings badly there are some who will still think they are not a very good team.
    I would really like to see the 49ers win 34-13 in a major beat down.
    More realistic I think the score will be more like 27-17 Niners.

    1. Relax. If everyone picked all the favorite teams there’s be nothing for these talking heads to discuss. They need to make a man upset pick so they pick the one that is more likely in their minds to happen.

    1. Wow. We’re on the road to Bangkok, aboard the Thailand express. We’ll hit the stops along the way. We only stop for the best!

        1. Yea, should be we’re on the train to Bangkok but it’s been 40 years since I’ve listened to 2112.

  24. That is so sad. He was an amazing drummer. Many of the great rock drummers are gone; Neil, Moon, Baker,Bonzo all gone.

    1. Just heard that Justin Bieber has Lyme Disease and I’m very afraid he might be next.
      .
      We have lost too much talent this last decade. Sigh.

  25. Learned that strong safety Sendejo will be manning the slot. Sanders must be salivating….

  26. Who is nervous for tomorrow raise your hand?
    ✋?

    Who has butterflies in their bellies?
    ✋?

    Who thinks the Niners will win?
    ✋?

    2. This season I have refrained from giving predictions and the 49ers have gone 13-3, so I’m going to stick with that!

      As for nervous, not yet. Probably as it get close to game time I will a bit. But tbh I don’t tend to get too nervous about sports teams I support these days – when I was younger I would ride the roller coaster a bit but I am in it for the entertainment aspect now, and getting worked up over my team winning or losing just isn’t worth it to me anymore. If they lose it will suck and I will be disappointed for a bit, but that’s about it.

      1. One and done is all we’ll hear the whole off-season. I want this win so bad I can almost taste it!

        1. Meh. What other folks are saying about the teams I support really doesn’t bother me. Reading all the inevitable posts from dissatisfied 49er fans would be tiresome though.

          In the end I just can’t muster the passion for something that I do for entertainment to let a team I support not winning a game, any game, impact on how I feel for more than a moment. Basically, my take on being a sports fan is enjoy it, it is meant to be a fun distraction, but why let something you have no control over control you?

          1. I guess it comes down to how much you have emotionally invested. I don’t have as much as the players or coaching staff, but I’m still a die hard fan. Nothing against your way, mind you and I’d much rather be able to process it like yourself. Better for the blood pressure….?‍♂️

  28. I’m a SF49er fan living in New England. Less than 24hrs after the Patriots lost to the Titans, Patriot fans stated that they were not going to watch the games anymore, LOL. I remember when all the seats were empty before Patriot Place was built in the Kraft era. They had seats with no backs on them like the ones at high school football. Fair Weather Fans! An old friend of mine used to say, “Victory has many fathers! But defeat is an orphan!”.

  29. Street on IR again doesn’t bode well for yet another ACL pick. I can appreciate trying to get value in a later round. It worked for the cowboys and Jaylon Smith. But maybe the Niners stick a pin in those picks for a decade or so?
    Don’t get me wrong, I like Street and I wish him success, but ain’t lookin good.

    1. The persistent knee injury sucks, but I wonder how much of the issue with Street is the knee, and how much is just him not necessarily being that good? Hopefully the knee is fine and ready for next year and we can find out.

        1. My expectation is he will be active, but only play if the game is close in the 2nd half and they are struggling to get to Cousins without him.

          1. Interesting. I’m getting the feeling that some of the latest pessimistic reports have been subterfuge.

  30. Highly likely the 9ers win. This time tomorrow most of us will be giddy, some will be sour. By early next week it’ll be doom and gloom for the NFC Championship game. The opponent will get all the press and over-the-top love. At least a third of this board will find fault with everything 9ers as the weekend draws closer…

    Gotta love the playoffs.

  31. Mike Wolff
    ‏@mike_wolff

    Can we please have a Cohn Zohn podcast with @grantcohn and @LowellCohn along with the Shanahans? Two legandary father/son tandems.

    Better idea, let’s have a Cohn Zone with guests Nick Bosa and his dad John…

  32. Ultra fascinating that Shanny had video installed in every nook and cranny of practices, drills and meetings, with everything accessible to his IPod within 30 minutes of the recordings conclusion. That’s fantastic for us!

  33. As I was studying game tape on the Vikings (so I can pretend to sound smart like SebastoPaul) I noticed Cousins wears his wedding ring during the game.

    First of all.. is this type of jewelry on the hands allowed?

    I thought Odell Beckham was fined for wearing some absurd watch.

    What would prevent a lineman from wearing brass knuckles?

    1. Brings me back to the day when some linemen would play with casts on their hands/wrists/forearms and use them as clubs.

      Just tape the brass knuckles to the fist, and add a few extra wraps to make it look legit…

  34. @Seb the commenters of the site voted yet again you will represent the site at the game this week. You will be the honorary away team ball washer. Enjoy that large low hanging fruit. Hopefully you will be the Sebcubus of the Vikings! Go 49ers!

    1. Sam, since i see you on the field, you would be perfect for the job. Looks like you have soft hands.

  35. Can’t wait for tomorrow. Seems like an eternity since they beat the Hawks… Hopefully this time tomorrow we’ll be talking about the win vs what could have been. Nervous as always but something tells me the Niners dominate the Viqueens and show them why we’re the NFC’s #1 seed.

  36. Y’all should be ecstatic, mostly you predicted 7-9 this season when it was obvious the rebuild was working. I was wrong, I didn’t think they’d lose any games, but 13-3 is where the Niners of ’81 were and that worked out pretty well, with no running game.

    Enjoy tomorrow.

    GO NINERS !!!!!!

    1. Also some data from Pro Football Focus complied by the Athletic, Jimmy G ranks #1 in YACs per completed pass and (6.6, Mahomes is #2 with 6.2) and #4 in On Target Passes (80%). On Target Pass is defined as percentage of on-target throws per pass attempt, excluding spikes and throwaways. Cousins is #6 and #5 in those categories, respectively.

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