Niner Noise
FanSided

3 reasons why Vikings aren’t a good playoff matchup for 49ers

By Peter Panacy

SAN FRANCISCO, CA - AUGUST 25: Toby Gerhart #32 of the Minnesota Vikings carries the ball for a sixteen yard gain to the San Francisco 49ers fifteen yard line in the second quarter at Candlestick Park on August 25, 2013 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - AUGUST 25: Toby Gerhart #32 of the Minnesota Vikings carries the ball for a sixteen yard gain to the San Francisco 49ers fifteen yard line in the second quarter at Candlestick Park on August 25, 2013 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /
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Dalvin Cook, Vikings
Dalvin Cook #33 of the Minnesota Vikings (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images) /

No. 3: Dalvin Cook and the Vikings Run Game

Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins and his history of performances in prime-time, high-pressure games will be a storyline, as will Cousins going up against his former offensive coordinator and mentor, Kyle Shanahan.

But Minnesota’s offense doesn’t funnel through Cousins, rather running back Dalvin Cook.

In four of the Vikings’ six regular-season losses, Cook and the ground game failed to reach 100 yards on the ground. Yet Cook, whose 2018 campaign was riddled with injury, bounced back to the tune of 1,135 rush yards, 13 touchdowns and an additional 519 receiving yards en route to his first Pro Bowl nod.

Cook rushed for 94 yards and two touchdowns in the win over the Saints, looking much more like the prolific runner he was supposed to be when he came out in the 2017 NFL Draft.

Cousins is notably better using play action, from which most quarterbacks benefit anyway. And given the 49ers allowed an average of 4.5 yards per carry on the year, which ranked 23rd in the league, one can see how this particular matchup could be a problem.

Granted, the potential return of linebacker Kwon Alexander from what was thought to be a season-ending pectoral injury should be a major boost to San Francisco’s defense.

That doesn’t change the fact Minnesota’s ground game poses a major threat, though.