1st-and-10 at MIN 46
While 49ers wide receiver Marquise Goodwin racks up deep touchdown catches during practice, many fans have been itching for an in-game highlight; on Sunday, they got their wish.
The 49ers line up in 21 personnel, and send Garçon in motion:
With the 49ers in a base formation, the Vikings have seven men in the box:
As the 49ers fake the run to the wide side of the field, left tackle Joe Staley leaves defensive end Everson Griffen unblocked:
Juszczyk’s objective is to get Griffen to the ground, and out of the play:
Juszczyk does his job, as Hoyer fakes the reverse to Garçon, and looks downfield:
Barr slides toward Garçon, but fellow linebacker Eric Kendricks is too shallow to defend against McDonald over the middle:
However, the Vikings make a bigger mistake in coverage farther down the field. Both safety Harrison Smith and cornerback Xavier Rhodes are in no position keep pace with the speed of Goodwin:
With a 3-yard head start on Rhodes, the cornerback doesn’t stand a chance:
Hoyer sends the ball downfield toward his open receiver:
Goodwin catches the pass for a 46-yard touchdown for the 49ers:
Great misdirection. Great block by Juice. A little confusion in the secondary and Goodwin is gone. #49ers pic.twitter.com/NjcfWLEfhR
— Chris Wilson (@cgawilson) August 29, 2017
Next: 49ers preseason: Player stock watch after Week 3
In their first drive, the San Francisco 49ers demonstrated that merely the threat of a running game opens up the field for the team’s speedy receivers. If the Niners are able to establish a consistent running attack, the 49ers could have an exciting offense in 2017.