Vikings @ 49ers

After a tough offseason which included the loss of Coach Harbaugh, running back Frank Gore to free agency and almost half of their defensive line retiring, expectations were low for the opening game as Daniel Gardre reports.

The doom and gloom atmosphere that had been cultivated throughout pre-season followed the side into their first match, particularly given that the depleted 49ers defense would be coming up against the 2012 MVP Adrian Peterson, who was returning to the field following his season long ban for causing injury to his 4 year old son. As mentioned in a previous article, the last time the Vikes’ star had something to prove, he ran for 2097 yards, just 9 yards short of Eric Dickerson’s all-time record set in 1984. Just like their new alternative uniforms worn for the first time, the 49ers future seemed dark.

Peterson's return was described as 'clunky' by ESPN.

All the talk of their grim spring and summer did not; however, seem to affect the 49ers at all. From the very beginning, they looked like a rejuvenated side chock full of verve and energy. Their first drive of the night was a very positive one which set the tone for the evening, with Carlos Hyde thriving in his new role of responsibility following Gore’s departure. He turned what should have been small gains into large yardage, spinning and squirming out of the hands of the grasping defense. His positive play was supported by that of much maligned Quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who seemed to have no limits in his first season as started, yet floundered in the most recent campaign to compound  a poor year overall for the team. During the offseason though, the former 45^th pick in the 2011 Draft did not mull over his mistakes. He sought help from none other than Kurt Warner, one of the best pocket passers in the history of the NFL, as well as QB coaches Dennis Gile and Mike Giovando. This move seems to have paid off. Rather than rushing at every given opportunity or hurrying passes, the new and improved Kaepernick seemed much more patient, moving up into the pocket with calmness or rolling out of it to give himself a different angle on a play. This led to a consistent gain of impressive yards on first downs. This trend continued throughout the drive until a 10 yard penalty put the brakes on, restricting the San Francisco side to a field goal attempt. The kick was blocked though following some less than impressive blcking from Special teams, who let Sendejo get through the seam much too easily. Fortunately for the 49ers, they were not made to pay for their error as the return from the blocked kick was halted before the Vikings could return for a touchdown, while their own opening drive, in which Peterson was never handed the ball, ended in a missed field goal attempt. Not the best start for Special Teams.

Veteran kicker Phil Dawson's field goal attempt was blocked.

Running back Reggie Bush was injured in the following drive, suffering what was initially feared to be a tear to the calf, but was later confirmed to be only a mild strain, which should see him out for only a matter of weeks rather than months. This should give Australian import and much hyped running back Jarryd Hayne much more on field time than expected, although he must have wished his competitive debut would have gone better. Following numerous impressive rushes and returns in preseason games, including an over the head catch against the Cowboys, he fumbled his first punt return in the NFL. We’ll put it down to first day nerves.

With no score until late in the second quarter, it was up to the defenses to shine, and one in particular did. The 49ers line, coordinated by Eric Mangini, released a flurry of inventive and diverse blitzes which threw of opposing QB Teddy Bridgewater, who suffered the ignominy of 5 sacks and an overall bad day at the office.  Aaron Lynch and Antoine Bethea really impressed, either getting to the QB or causing panic among the opposition’s offensive line and forcing Bridgewater to throw rushed and early. The real star of the show in defense was, however, NaVorro Bowman, who was playing in his first full match since he wrecked his left knee in the NFC title game of 2014. Coming up against the aforementioned Peterson, he seemed to relish his newfound leading role in the 49ers defense following the loss of Patrick Willis. Alongside his teammates, he shut down one of the top rushers in the NFL for only 31 yards in 10 attempts, a miserly return for such a well esteemed battering ram. This essentially locked down the game for the San Francisco side, who, given their defensive performance, were never really under any pressure.

Bowman's return is a huge bonus for the 49ers.

Bowman was joined by Carlos Hyde as one of the top performers on a very promising opening night. He started strongly and maintained his high level of performance in his new starting role throughout the game. Following a series of impressive rushes, he finished the first half with a touchdown, running right initially, planting his right foot and spinning left past an onrushing defender grasping for air and diving into the end zone unchallenged. He added to this in the 4^th quarter as he again rushed through a central seam to the right and continued unchallenged into the Promised Land to end a well-paced drive full of cleverly varied plays. This summed up his night as he rushed for a total of 168 yards on 26 carries and showed up the expected star of the show on his grand return.

The game finished with a pick for the 49ers by cornerback Tremaine Brock on a wayward throw from Bridgewater and another field goal to bring the final score to 20-3 in the home sides favour. A tally which did not flatter San Francisco as they dominated in all departments and brushed off the pre-season criticism to put in a sterling performance which should offer hope to a nearly already defeated fan base. That said, it is but week 1, and the 49ers will face much sterner tests than coming up against a rusty Peterson. Special teams must certainly improve, but the potential is there for the roster to have a decent season.

edited by Aaron Elliott