3 reasons why Vikings aren’t a good playoff matchup for 49ers
By Peter Panacy
No. 1: 49ers Pass Defensve vs. Danielle Hunter, Everson Griffen
San Francisco has a legitimately strong defensive line, only looking to get stronger by the healthy return of EDGE Dee Ford from quad and hamstring injuries.
San Francisco 49ers
That said, the Vikings have a pretty good defensive line, too.
The two players to watch here are defensive linemen Danielle Hunter and Everson Griffen, who combined for a whopping 22.5 sacks during the regular season. And in the Wild Card round, the Vikings put these two primarily within the interior of the D-line, which made life hectic for Saints quarterback Drew Brees.
New Orleans, which surrendered 25 sacks during the regular season — good for third best in the NFL — gave up three sacks on Brees in the loss to Minnesota.
This matters, because the 49ers have dealt with a patchwork offensive line all season, which finished ranked 15th in pass protection by Football Outsiders. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see the Vikings go with the same approach again, putting Hunter and Griffen on the inside and matching them up against the Niners’ backup center, Ben Garland, who has taken over starting duties for the injured Weston Richburg.
So, while a big part of the focus will be on how San Francisco’s D-line handles the Vikings, one should equally be concerned with how the 49ers’ own offensive line handles Griffen, Hunter and Co.
Next. Vikings vs. 49ers: 5 matchups to watch in NFC divisional round. dark
The 49ers and Vikings kick off on Saturday, Jan. 11 at 4:35 p.m. ET from Levi’s Stadium.