49ers: 5 matchups to watch in NFC divisional round vs. Vikings

Vikings vs. 49ers: 5 matchups to watch in NFC divisional round

SAN FRANCISCO, CA - AUGUST 25: Cordarrelle Patterson #84 of the Minnesota Vikings gets knocked out of bounds at the three yard line by Tramaine Brock #26 of the San Francisco 49ers after Patterson gained six yards on a pass play in the third quarter at Candlestick Park on August 25, 2013 in San Francisco, California. The 49ers won the game 34-14. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /

5 of 6

Head coach Kyle Shanahan of the San Francisco 49ers (Photo by John McCoy/Getty Images) /

No. 2: Kyle Shanahan vs. Kirk Cousins

Remember those days when Kyle Shanahan was eyeing Kirk Cousins to eventually be the quarterback of the 49ers?

Well, that’s going to be a clear storyline between these two when the Vikings visit Levi’s Stadium.

Cousins, of course, spent his first two seasons under Shanahan’s tutelage with the Washington Redskins before Shanahan left in 2014. And Shanahan was key in the quarterback’s development, too.

This could provide a bit of an advantage for San Francisco, as Shanahan will know a lot about Cousins’ strengths and weaknesses. There is also likely to be the ongoing discussion about Cousins’ efforts in prime time, too, and he hasn’t historically been good there, either.

As far as the playoffs go, Cousins now has a 1-1 record after pulling off the win in New Orleans, where he went 19-of-31 for 242 yards with one touchdown against zero interceptions. His last playoff start came back in 2015, when he was on the losing end against the Green Bay Packers despite tossing nearly 330 yards and a touchdown.

Either way, Cousins’ past and Shanahan’s insight on him will be a key storyline for this playoff contest.