49ers film room: Offense’s opening drive vs. Vikings starting defense

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:

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.