The Monday Night Football features an NFC showdown between the San Francisco 49ers and the Minnesota Vikings. The 49ers just suffered their first loss of the season, falling to the Cleveland Browns 19-17 as 9.5-point favorites.
Minnesota just picked up their second win of the year, winning at Chicago 19-13 as 3-point favorites. The 49ers are currently listed as 7-point favorites as visitors.
49ers Look to Stay on Top
The 49ers found themselves in a typical letdown situation last week after destroying the Dallas Cowboys in prime time. Cleveland was a popular bet to cover the 9.5-point lead, and they managed to win thanks to their solid defense.
Kyle Shanahan's offense was limited to just 215 total yards and still had a chance to win it at the end, but rookie kicker Jake Moody missed a field goal that would have clinched the victory after Brock Purdy led the team into field goal position on the final series.
Brock Purdy has been excellent this season running Kyle Shanahan's offense. Purdy is asked to make quick decisions and efficiently deliver the ball to his star players, which he has accomplished by completing 67.5% of his passes with 10 touchdowns and only one interception.
Purdy's QBR of 77.0 is the highest rating in the NFL. Christian McCaffrey leads the league in yards on the ground with 553, which equates to 92.2 yards per game.
He has seven rushing touchdowns and two receiving touchdowns as the main weapon on offense. George Kittle has been relatively unnoticed this season, but can still stand out when needed.
Kittle had three touchdowns against Dallas, but has caught just five passes in the last three games. Brandon Aiyuk has been the leading receiver this season with 90.8 yards per game and two touchdowns, while Deebo Samuel is still active with 50.3 yards per game.
The 49ers are second in the NFL in scoring, averaging 30.7 points per game. Their scoring defense is the best in the league, allowing only 14.5 points per game.
He broke into the Top 👊@nbsmallerbear became the 5th player in our history with the most QB catches with 45.5.
The sack was established as an official statistic in 1982.#FTTB pic.twitter.com/dydxAKs5x2
- 49ers en Español (@49ersESP) October 21, 2023
Vikings Close to Third Victory
The Vikings have two wins on the season, coming against two of the worst teams in the NFL. They defeated the Carolina Panthers, the only team that has yet to win a game, and then beat the struggling Chicago Bears last week.
Minnesota took Chicago quarterback Justin Fields out of the game in the third quarter with a hand injury. The Vikings had only 220 yards of offense and hit 2 of 13 on third downs, but still won the game.
Kirk Cousins spoke about the offensive struggles after the game. Cousins is second in the NFL in yards per pass with 1,679 on the season, which equates to 279.8 yards per game.
The rest of his numbers are also solid, he has 14 touchdowns and only four interceptions, and completes 67.2% of his passes. Cousins' QBR rating is 56.9 and ranks 13th in the NFL.
Justin Jefferson will miss this game due to injury, which puts pressure on rookie receiver Jordan Addison to be the number one receiver.
Addison averages 46.2 yards per game and has four touchdowns, but will need to step up. Tight end T.J. Hockenson averages 50.7 yards per game and will likely be targeted more with Jefferson out.
Running back Alexander Mattison averages 53.3 yards per game, and newly acquired Cam Akers hasn't been used much. The Vikings do not have a rushing touchdown on the season.
Minnesota has the third-best aerial offense in the league, but ranks 18th in scoring at 21.5 points per game.
Their defense ranks 21st in scoring, allowing 22.5 points per game. Safety Camryn Bynum leads the team in tackles with 60 on the season.
Defensive wing Danielle Hunter hasn't lost a step, currently tied for first in the league in catches with eight.
The Vikings have manufactured six turnovers this season, but have lost the ball 13 times, their fumble differential of -7 is second to last in the league.
