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| ARI at SEA | CAR at JAX | CHI at WAS | CLE at NYJ | DAL at DET | IND at BAL | KC at DEN | MIA at BUF |
| MIN at SF | NO at ATL | NYG at PHI | OAK at GB | PIT at NE | SD at TEN | STL at CIN | TB at HOU |
Week 14 Game Recap: Minnesota Vikings 27, San Francisco 49ers 7
What you need to know
| Minnesota Vikings |
Adrian Peterson was shut down. The 49ers were able to completely contain Adrian Peterson the entire game. Unfortunately, there were not able to contain Chester Taylor the same way. Taylor had a long touchdown run and over 100 yards to keep the Vikings rolling.
Tarvaris Jackson continued his streak of successful games, and while he did not put of the fantasy numbers of last week, he continued to play well and show improvement. With the game over by halftime, Jackson did not have the opportunities, and the Vikings play calling did not show the same aggressiveness of previous weeks to give Jackson chances to put up numbers for the whole game.
The Vikings defense was again opportunistic, picking off two 49ers passes, returning one for a touchdown on the first offensive play of the game, and recovering three fumbles. The 49ers were held in check the entire game by the Vikings defense.
| San Francisco 49ers |
The 49ers could not get anything going on offense, at least without shooting themselves in the foot before scoring. Their lone scoring drive was Shaun Hill's first of the game. However, he soon got the team memo and was as futile as his teammates.
Trent Dilfer was unable to find any rhythm for the entire first half. He was knocked out of the game on the 49ers last offensive play of the half scrambling for a first down. His head was knocked back on a collision with a defender and was helped off the field. Shaun Hill fared slightly better in the second half. He drove the team for a touchdown on his first drive. For the remainder of the game, he was satisfied with taking the underneath passes the Vikings were allowing him to have with the large lead. He was not able to bring the 49ers back into the game though.
Frank Gore found running room against the normally stout Vikings run defense. He averaged 4.25 yards per carry, but the 49ers offense was not able to stay on the field long enough for him to get huge yardage numbers or into the end zone. He also did not help himself by fumbling the ball away twice.
What you ought to know
| QB Tarvaris Jackson, Pass: 16 - 25 - 163 - 1 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 9 - 13 - 0 |
Jackson continued to play well, but also continued to do so without putting up significant numbers. Even though he completed over 60% of his passes, he threw for just 163 yards, though he did add in a touchdown. He did look sharp hitting receivers in stride, making quick decisions, scrambling for yardage when there were opportunities and throwing the ball away when necessary. His maturation as a quarterback continued, but with the big lead the Vikings were staked in the first half, he did not need to put up big numbers.
| RB Adrian Peterson, Rush: 14 - 3 - 0 |
Peterson was completely shut down for the first time in his brief career. His longest carry went for just four yards, and the majority of his carries were for zero or negative yardage. He had no room to run all game. He did have one 20+ yard run called back on a holding penalty, but had nothing else to speak of. Peterson was also not involved in the passing game at all.
| RB Chester Taylor, Rush: 8 - 101 - 1, Rec: 3 - 23 - 0 (4 targets) |
Taylor got the official start of the game, being in on the first series. Taylor also had more success running the ball than did Adrian Peterson, but most of his success came on just one play. On a running play to the left, Taylor had a nice hole he burst through, made one player miss near the sideline, than raced up the sideline stiff-arming two players en route to the end zone 84 yards later. The remaining of his other 7 carries went for just 16 more yards.
| WR Robert Ferguson, Rec: 4 - 57 - 1 (5 targets) |
Ferguson had one of his best days as a Vikings receiver, and scored the Vikings lone receiving touchdown. The touchdown was a short pass to the right. The defender covering him lunged at Ferguson but bounced off. Ferguson then made a second defender miss and walked into the end zone.
| WR Sidney Rice, Rec: 2 - 21 - 0 (4 targets) |
Rice had a quiet day, pulling in just two of the 4 balls thrown his way. His first was on the Vikings second play of the game, on a deep in route with Jackson making a nice throw on target for 12 yards. His only other reception was later in the first half, on a third and seven, Rice ran a shallow crossing route and Jackson hit him and Rice was able to turn up field for the first. Rice did not get a look in the second half.
| TE Visanthe Shiancoe, Rec: 2 - 11 - 0 (4 targets) |
Shiancoe again was an afterthought in the Vikings passing game, garnering just four targets. His first reception went for just two yards, catching it at the sideline and unable to turn upfield before stepping out of bounds. He also caught a nine yard pass later in the game, and made a nice catch going down to the ground to grab a low pass.
| PK Ryan Longwell 2 - 2 FG, 3 - 3 XP, 9 points |
Longwell was perfect on his extra point attempt and made both of his field goal tries, one from 48 yards and another from 46.
| MIN Rush Defense |
The Vikings rush defense was not as spectacular as usual giving up over four yards per carry to Frank Gore. However, with the 49ers inability to maintain drives, they yielded just 73 yards on the ground.
| MIN Pass Defense |
The Vikings pass defense played superbly, and actually played better than the 212 yards surrendered looks like. The dominated when Trent Dilfer was in the game and allowed the 49ers nothing through the air in the first half. Once Shaun Hill entered in the second half, they had such a lead they gave up many underneath passes, which added to the yardage totals.
| QB Shaun Hill, Pass: 22 - 28 - 181 - 1 TD / 1 INT, Rush: 1 - 3 - 0 |
Hill replaced Dilfer at the start of the second half. Hill started the half off very well, leading the 49ers on a 12 play touchdown scoring drive. He made a nice throw to Arnaz Battle in the end zone, but that was the only scoring the 49ers could muster. For the remainder of the game, Hill accepted taking the underneath open receivers the Vikings allowed. Thus, Hill had a nice completion percentage, but did not get much anything going deep down the field to get the 49ers back into the game.
| QB Trent Dilfer, Pass: 7 - 19 - 45 - 0 TD / 1 INT, Rush: 2 - 1 - 0 |
Dilfer was unable to do anything against the Vikings defense. He was under consistent pressure, and generally unable to get anything going the entire first half. The first play of the game for the 49ers was a tipped ball that Kevin Williams intercepted and returned for a touchdown. The rest of the half did not get much better. Dilfer finally had the 49ers driving near the end of the first half. Down 27-0 already, and facing a fourth down near the end zone, the 49ers went for it. Dilfer was unable to find a receiver and scrambled from the pocket. His head collided with a defenders shoulder pad on a clean hit, but his neck jerked back, and he was helped off the field. He did not return.
| RB Frank Gore, Rush: 16 - 68 - 0, Rec: 8 - 49 - 0 (8 targets) |
Gore was successful running the ball. He found openings against the Vikings front four consistently, and was able to make defenders miss and get positive yards. However, the was hurt by the 49ers as a team, inability to stay on the field. He also hurt his own chances by losing two fumbles. Later in the game, when the Vikings were playing soft defense, Gore chipped in most of his receiving yards with short underneath passes. This helped his total yardage numbers immensely as he was able to finish with 117 total yards.
| WR Arnaz Battle, Rec: 2 - 13 - 1 (3 targets) |
Battle was invisible for most of the game. He was able to score the 49ers lone touchdown. He found himself wide open in the end zone, and Shaun Hill was able to locate him after several reads. He finished with just 13 yards, however.
| TE Delanie Walker, Rec: 6 - 66 - 0 (8 targets) |
Walker had a career game, pulling in six of his eight targets to lead the 49ers with 66 receiving yards. Most of his yardage came after the game was well decided and the Vikings were giving the 49ers short underneath passes.
| TE Vernon Davis, Rec: 5 - 42 - 0 (8 targets) |
Davis started the inauspiciously with two early false start penalties. However, he was able to take advantage of the big Vikings lead by getting several receptions late in the game with the Vikings playing a soft pass defense. Six of his eight targets came with the game well out of reach at 27-7.
| PK Joe Nedney 0 - 0 FG, 1 - 1 XP, 1 points |
Joe Nedney's only kicking opportunity was one extra point.
| SF Rush Defense |
The 49ers rush defense played superbly. They were able to completely shut down Adrian Peterson and made him a complete non factor in the game. They gave up one long run to Chester Taylor, but otherwise shut him down as well.
| SF Pass Defense |
The 49ers pass defense was marginal at best. They did not give up a lot of yards, but they allowed Tarvaris Jackson to play efficiently. They were not able to get sufficient pressure on the young quarterback to force him into bad decisions.
