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

No. 2: Vikings’ Two Receiving Threats, Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs

There’s another facet which could prove to be a major threat to the 49ers defense, and it primarily resides within the secondary.

Veteran cornerback Richard Sherman earned his Pro Bowl stripes in 2019, and his prowess should be good enough to effectively eliminate one side of the field from being targeted by Kirk Cousins and the Vikings offense.

On the other side, though, it’s an entirely different story.

Fellow corner Ahkello Witherspoon was playing well before suffering a sprained foot early in the season. Upon his return in Week 11, Witherspoon looked much more like the struggling, not-so-confident cornerback he was for much of 2018.

And in Week 17 against the Seattle Seahawks, Witherspoon ended up being benched late in favor of the depth corner who replaced him during the regular season, Emmanuel Moseley.

Minnesota has two proven wide receivers within its ranks, Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs. While Thielen’s 2019 campaign was marked by injury and a lack of availability, being present for the postseason poses a major threat.

Especially if the Niners are focused on keeping Diggs from hurting them, particularly after his 1,130-yard, six-touchdown regular-season campaign.

Either way, deciding between Witherspoon or Moseley will have a big impact on how San Francisco’s pass defense holds up in the NFL playoffs.