By Morris Phillips
When asked to compare the methods of former defensive coordinator Vic Fangio and newly promoted Eric Mangini, 49ers’ linebacker NaVorro Bowman didn’t break the bank with descriptive depth or get political, playing one against the other, instead simply saying that “Eric’s more of a variety type.”
Before the 49ers dismantled the Vikings Monday night, and after an off-season of unprecedented defections and personnel losses–almost all of them on defense—who could honestly say that they knew the no-name 49ers possessed “variety?”
Well, the answers are: probably no one, and apparently they do.
By holding the Vikings scoreless for three quarters, and putting the damper on Adrian Peterson’s anticipated return to the Minnesota lineup one year after issues with the authorities and the league derailed his career, Bowman—also returning from a year of inactivity–and the 49ers’ defense stole the show.
Seven of the 49ers’ defensive starters had never taken an official NFL snap alongside the former All-Pro who missed all of last season recovering from that gruesome leg injury suffered in the NFC Championship Game against the Seahawks. But from the start, with Bowman contributing the defensive signals and just about all of the veteran leadership, the retooled defense gave the Vikings fits.
Minnesota quarterback Teddy Bridgewater spent most of the evening under pressure provided by the clever 49ers’ rush schemes, and limited to check down routes that more often than not didn’t move the sticks. The Vikings couldn’t establish Peterson, couldn’t take advantage of the youthful 49ers’ secondary, or get on the scoreboard before or after Blair Walsh’s 37-yard field goal at the outset of the fourth quarter.
The Vikings converted just one of 11 third down opportunities and had only 248 yards in total offense.
The whole show had Minnesota head coach Mike Zimmer grasping for answers to less-than nuanced questions.
“They were hounding us pretty good,” Zimmer explained. “And then we allowed them that cut-back run at the end of the half. So, you know that’s kind of the story tonight.”
When asked how Peterson was held in check (52 yards from scrimmage on 10 rushes and three passes caught), Zimmer again could offer much.
“I don’t know. He looked alright to me. He didn’t have many helpers.”
For Zimmer, commenting on the 49ers appeared much easier.
“All the credit goes to San Francisco. They were much more physical than we were. That’s more of a team that I would like to be like. You know, when you don’t run the ball, you don’t have an opportunity to keep them out of pressure situations. They ran the ball on us and they kept us out of pressure situations. That was pretty much the extent of the game.”
In a league surrounded by prognosticators and observers trying to anticipate what you’re likely to see next, the 49ers fooled ‘em. Frank Gore departed to Indianapolis in the off-season, taking all his team history and intangibles, and Carlos Hyde took Gore’s place on Monday without missing a beat. The second-year man showed he was ready by pounding the Vikings with 168 yards rushing on 26 carries, including two touchdowns. Hyde never hit Minnesota for more than 18 yards on any one carry, which illustrated how consistent he was all evening in turning corners and moving piles.
Hyde’s debut as a 49er starter at running back trumped all those since 1970, and his 168 yards were the best total recorded by a back in the entire NFL in Week 1. In a game which nearly went scoreless for a half, Hyde provided the breakthrough by spinning away from a pair of potential tacklers, reversing direction and sprinting left for a 10-yard touchdown 47 seconds before halftime.
That Hyde was the story, and not Peterson was quite a shocker. First off, the Vikings, not the 49ers were established as 3-point favorites in gambling circles with the biggest reason being that most anticipated Peterson and emerging, second-year quarterback Bridgewater would have their way with all the new faces on defense for San Francisco. Also, Colin Kaepernick’s struggles of last season weren’t likely to disappear overnight. If Minnesota seized control, most thought Kaepernick would be hard pressed to lead the 49ers back, especially if he were forced to throw it constantly.
Against the Vikings, Kap showed his growth not by showing off his arm, but through his ability to get the 49ers into the right plays, and by controlling the pace and tempo in a game that was disjointed from the start. Both teams missed first half field goal attempts, summer sensation Jarryd Hayne fumbled a punt on his first touch in a NFL regular-season game, and the 49ers were limited when Reggie Bush was felled by a calf strain in the first half.
“You see him getting us in the correct runs,” Coach Jim Tomsula said of his signal caller. “You see him killing a pass and going to a run. You see him killing a run and going to a pass. Doing all of those things. I thought he knows what he’s looking at. I thought Kap played a wonderful game. I thought he did everything we asked him to do.”
The defense provided an edge, and Kaepernick kept handing the ball to Hyde. At one point after the 49ers increased their lead to two scores, Bridgewater managed to complete passes on nine consecutive attempts. But the rush on Bridgewater never relented, and his run game never got untracked.
“Man, I’m excited,” center Marcus Martin said. “Tomsula always says we got something special here, protect it. And I really believe that.”
Ian Williams, who started on the defensive line, after missing much of 2014 due to injury, agreed with Martin, saying, “We’re not worried about all the outside noise.”
On Sunday, the 49ers figure to get a tougher challenge in Pittsburgh against the Steelers at 1pm EST.
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